The High Court has ordered the appointment of state defense lawyers to represent death row convicts Sohel Rana and Swapna Akter in the hearing of the Ramisa murder case. The directive was issued on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, by a special bench led by Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty. The case has been listed for hearing, and the paper book for the death reference and jail appeals has already been prepared.

The case concerns the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa in Dhaka’s Pallabi area. On June 7, the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Suppression of Violence Against Children, presided over by Judge Masrur Salehin, sentenced Sohel Rana and Swapna Akter to death. The death reference documents, signed by the trial judge, reached the High Court on June 9 for mandatory approval before execution.

The High Court’s special bench is expected to begin hearing the death reference and appeals soon, marking the next stage in the judicial process of the case.