High Court appoints state defense lawyer for death row convicts in Pallabi child murder case
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The High Court has appointed state defense lawyer Md. Hafizur Rahman Khan to represent Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Akter, who were sentenced to death for the rape and brutal murder of an eight-year-old child in Dhaka’s Pallabi area.
The appointment follows an order issued on June 16 by a High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice K.M. Rashaduzzaman Raja. Mr. Khan confirmed receiving his appointment letter on Thursday and stated that he is preparing to represent the defendants once the case appears on the court’s cause list for hearing.
The legal proceedings have moved swiftly since the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for Suppression of Violence Against Women and Children delivered the death sentences on June 7, just 19 days after the incident. In addition to the capital punishment, the court imposed a fine of 500,000 taka on Sohel and 200,000 taka on his wife. The case records were transmitted to the High Court’s death reference branch on June 9 for mandatory confirmation of the sentences.
Following their convictions, both defendants filed separate jail appeals through prison authorities on June 11, which were accepted for hearing by a High Court bench on June 14. To expedite the resolution of such cases, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan had previously formed a specialized bench on June 10 to prioritize death references and appeals related to the Suppression of Violence Against Women and Children Act.
The crime occurred on May 19, when the dismembered body of the child was discovered in a Pallabi flat. Authorities report that Sohel escaped the premises by breaking a window grill shortly before the body was found, while his wife, Swapna, was apprehended at the scene. Sohel was later arrested in Fatullah, Narayanganj. The victim’s father subsequently initiated a criminal case against the couple.
Under Bangladeshi law, death sentences handed down by trial courts require High Court confirmation via a death reference process. These matters, along with any subsequent appeals filed by defendants, are typically heard concurrently. Legal officials confirmed that the paperbook, which contains the complete case file and documentation required for High Court proceedings, has already been finalized.
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