Dhaka: Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has announced that the trial in the murder case of seventh-grader Yashat Shahriar Opratim in Cumilla will proceed swiftly. He expressed his hopes for a quick resolution similar to the Ramisa murder case trial, emphasizing that the government will support the judiciary by facilitating legal procedures and submitting the necessary charge sheet.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the minister stated that the judiciary is expected to prioritize the case and expedite the trial process. Four arrests have been made in connection with the incident, and the suspects have reportedly confessed. The police are currently finalizing legal procedures, including the potential recording of statements under Section 164.
The Home Minister described the incident as a national tragedy that has deeply affected the country. Opratim, aged 13, was found deceased within a day of his disappearance. Salahuddin commended the police for their swift action in apprehending the suspects within 12 hours and for gathering crucial evidence.
Among the arrestees, three suspects were detained earlier, and an additional suspect was apprehended on Sunday. Initial investigations suggest that two of the suspects are adults, while one may be a minor. The suspects are believed to have been part of a juvenile criminal group with ties to Opratim.
The mobile phone Opratim carried was retrieved from the prime suspect, identified as Tuhin. The police are in the process of conducting forensic analyses, and Opratim's post-mortem examination has been completed.
Opratim, the only child of Dr. Nahida Begum, a Cumilla University associate professor, and KM Firoz Shahriar, was discovered dead in a wooded area in the Kotbari region of Sadar Dakshin upazila, Cumilla, on Saturday. He had left home on Friday afternoon to take photos with friends, using his mother's iPhone. Opratim was laid to rest at the family graveyard in Kotbari on Sunday.