SC hearing continues today

The Supreme Court yesterday continued hearing on the appeals of death-row convicts in the case over the rape and murder of Shazneen Tasnim Rahman in her home around 18 years ago.

A five-member Appellate Division bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, will resume the hearing today.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday placed arguments on behalf of the state. He replied to some legal questions raised by the apex court. Deputy Attorney General Khondker Diliruzzaman assisted him.

Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, later started placing arguments before the court.

The hearing began at 11:45am and continued till 1:30pm. 

On March 29, a three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by the chief justice, started hearing the appeals of the five convicts sentenced to death for rape and murder. 

Two other members of the bench were Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice Mirza Hussain Haider. On April 5, the chief justice included Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice Md Imman Ali in the bench.

According to the case documents, Shazneen was brutally murdered at her Gulshan house in the city on April 23, 1998.

On September 2, 2003, Judge Kazi Rahmat Ullah of the Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression in Dhaka delivered the verdict in the case.

The court handed death sentences to all the six accused in the case on charges of planning the rape and murder and abetting the offences.

The six are Syed Sajjad Mainuddin Hasan, who was a contractor for renovating Shazneen's house, and his assistant Badal, domestic help Shahidul Islam Shahid, housemaids Estema Khatun Minu and Parvin, and carpenter Shaniram Mandal.

The convicts later appealed to the HC against the tribunal verdict. 

The HC on July 10, 2006, confirmed the death penalties of Shahid, Badal, Minu, Parvin and Sajjad. It, however, acquitted Shaniram of the charges.

Later, Sajjad, Badal, Minu and Parvin filed separate leave-to-appeal petitions with the SC, seeking permission for filing regular appeals against the HC verdict. The SC on April 26, 
2009, granted their petitions. 

The other convict, Shahid, filed a jail appeal.