Shazneen’s 23rd death anniversary observed quietly

The 23rd death anniversary of Shazneen Tasnim Rahman was observed yesterday.

On April 23, 1998, 15-year-old Shazneen -- a grade-IX student of Scholastica School -- was brutally murdered at her home in the capital's Gulshan.

She was daughter of late Latifur Rahman, former chairman of Transcom Group, and Shahnaz Rahman, present chairman of the group.

Shazneen was among four siblings. Her elder sister Simeen Rahman is the group chief executive officer of Transcom Ltd.

More than 19 years after the shocking incident, the convict in the Shazneen rape and murder case, Shahidul Islam alias Shahid, was hanged at Kashimpur High Security Prison in Gazipur in 2017.

A Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression delivered the verdict on September 2, 2003, sentencing six accused to death for the rape and murder.

They are: domestic help Shahidul; a contractor renovating the house Syed Sajjad Mainuddin Hasan and his assistant Badal; domestic help Estema Khatun Minu and her sister Parvin; and carpenter Shaniram Mandal.

After the lower court verdict, the death reference reached the High Court for confirmation of the sentence. At the same time, the accused appealed to the HC against their convictions and sentences. The HC acquitted Shaniram on July 10, 2006.

The verdict of death sentence of the other five was upheld.

Later on, Hasan, Badal, Minu and Parvin appealed to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC verdict. Shahidul filed a jail appeal.

On August 2 in 2016, the Appellate Division granted the appeals of Hasan, Badal, Minu and Parvin and dismissed Shahidul's appeal.

On March 5, 2017, the apex court rejected Shahidul's petition for review of the verdict. He sought presidential clemency, which was turned down.

He was executed on November 29 of that year.