The HC Death Reference Bench comprising Justices Ali Asgar Khan and Emdadul Haque, on June 27, fixed today to deliver the verdict on completion of hearing from the prosecution and the defence.

The Second Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka on September 2, 2003 convicted the six accused and ordered them to be hanged until their death for raping and killing of Shazneen Tasnim Rahman, youngest daughter of leading businessman Latifur Rahman.

Following the convicts appeal against the lower court's judgement, the death reference bench began hearing on March 30 this year. The defence and prosecution took part in the 31 days of hearing which ended on June 27.

During the hearing, the paper-book containing statements of the witnesses, the investigation procedure and all information regarding the case were read out before the HC bench.

The prosecution tried to prove from the statements of the witnesses given in the lower court that the five convicts killed and raped Shazneen according to the plot of convict Syed Sajjad Mainuddin Hasan. Hasan was a contractor for repair jobs at Shazneen's house.

The prosecution pointed out during this time the legal aspects concerning the credibility of the witnesses' statements. It also presented different precedents of the higher court of Bangladesh and different other countries.

Presenting different logics, the prosecution told the court all the allegations against the convicts have been proved undoubtedly and said there is no alternative but to uphold the lower court's judgement.

The defence counsels presented the statements of the witnesses as in the paper-book and statements of the convicts made in the lower court under section 342 of Code of Criminal Procedure. Claiming the charge of conspiracy to murder had not been proven, they urged the court to acquit them.

Shazneen, also a student of Scholastica, was raped and killed at her Gulshan home on April 23, 1998.

The lower court awarded death sentences to domestic help Shahidul Islam Shahid for raping and killing Shazneen. The court handed similar penalty to Hasan his assistant Badal, mason Shaniram Mandol and housemaids Estema Khatun Minu and Parvin.

Additional Attorney General Razzak Khan, Assistant Attorney General Zinat Akhtar Nazli Begum and advocate Mohammad Nazmul Haq were present for the prosecution while advocates Mujibur Rahman, Abdus Sobhan, Barrister Masudur Rahman, AS Abdul Mobin and Farida Khan assisted them. Khondoker Mahbub Mahbub Hossain, Anisul Haq and Mosharraf Hossain Kajal moved for the convicts.