Shazneen Murder: One convict hanged after 19 years
Shahidul Islam alias Shahid, a condemned prisoner in Shazneen Tasnim Rahman rape and murder case, was hanged last night.
The jail authorities carried out the execution at Kashimpur High Security Prison in Gazipur at 9:45pm, nearly 19 years after Shazneen's death.
A trial court had delivered the verdict in September 2003.
The execution was confirmed by Mizanur Rahman, senior superintendent of Kashimpur prison.
Earlier in the day, informed by the jail authorities, Shahidul's mother, brother, sister and an aunt met him in the prison.
Shahidul's brother Muhidul received his body, which was later taken to his village home in Gopalganj's Muksudpur under police guard.
A press release signed by Mizanur about the execution and a brief description of the case was handed to reporters at the jail gate.
Around 8:45pm, Additional District Magistrate Rahenul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Mahmud Hasan and Civil Surgeon Monzurul Haque led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Farzana Mannan entered the jail and left after the execution.
Shahidul had been in Dhaka Central Jail since he was arrested. He was taken to Kashimpur in 2012.
Shazneen Tasnim Rahman, a class-IX student of Scholastica school, was killed at her Gulshan home on April 23, 1998. Her father Latifur Rahman is the chairman of Transcom Group.
The trial took place in Dhaka's 2nd Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression.
On September 2, 2003, the tribunal sentenced six accused for the rape and murder of Shazneen.
They are domestic help Shahidul, a contractor renovating the house Syed Sajjad Mainuddin Hasan and his assistant Badal, housemaids Estema Khatun Minu and her sister Parvin and carpenter Shaniram Mandal.
When the allegations against Shahidul were read out before him in the trial court, he confessed his crimes and said, “I am guilty. I want to be hanged.”
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 conviction and sentence. 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 last year, the Appellate Division granted the appeals of Hasan, Badal, Minu and Parvin and dismissed Shahidul's appeal.
On March 5 this year, the apex court rejected Shahidul's petition for review of the verdict. Then he sought the presidential mercy.
His mercy petition was sent to the home ministry on May 8 from the office of senior jail super at Kashimpur.
The date and time for the execution was fixed after the president rejected the mercy petition this month.