26th death anniversary of Shazneen today

Today is the 26th death anniversary of Shazneen Tasnim Rahman.

On this day in 1998, 15-year-old Shazneen was raped and brutally murdered in a premeditated manner at her home in Gulshan.

She was the daughter of late Latifur Rahman, former chairman of Transcom Group, and Shahnaz Rahman, current chairman of the group. Shazneen was the youngest among four siblings. Her elder sister Simeen Rahman is the chief executive officer of Transcom.

Shazneen, who was a grade-IX student of Scholastica School, was murdered on the night of April 23.

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 in September 2003, sentencing six accused to death for the rape and murder.

They are domestic help Shahidul; contractor Syed Sajjad Mainuddin, who was tasked with renovating the house, and his assistant Badal; housemaids 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 High Court against their convictions and sentences. The HC acquitted Shaniram.

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 mercy, which was turned down by the president. He was executed on November 29 that year.