Today, 23 April, marks the 28th death anniversary of Shazneen Tasnim Rahman.
On this day in 1998, perpetrators brutally murdered 15-year-old Shazneen at her residence in Gulshan, Dhaka. At the time, she was a ninth-grade student at Scholastica School.
Shazneen Tasnim Rahman was the daughter of the late Latifur Rahman, former chairman of Transcom Group, and the current Chairman, Shahnaz Rahman. She was one of four siblings.
Her elder sister, Simeen Rahman, serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transcom Group.
The trial concerning Shazneen’s rape and murder took place at the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Dhaka. On 2 September 2003, the tribunal delivered its verdict, sentencing six accused individuals to death.
The convicted were Shahidul Islam (Shahid), then a domestic worker at Shazneen’s residence; Syed Sajjad Moinuddin Hasan, the contractor responsible for renovation work at the house, along with his assistant Badol; two sisters, Estema Khatun (Minu) and Parveen, who worked as household staff; and carpenter Shoniram Mondal.
Following the trial court’s verdict, the case proceeded to the High Court for confirmation of the death sentences (death reference), and the accused filed appeals.
On 10 July 2006, the High Court acquitted Shoniram Mondal and upheld the death sentences of the remaining five accused.
Subsequently, four of them—Hasan, Badal, Minu, and Parveen—filed appeals against the High Court’s judgement.
Another convict, Shahid, submitted a jail appeal. The Appellate Division allowed the appeals of the four accused, leading to their acquittal, while it dismissed Shahid’s jail appeal.
Later, Shahid sought a review of the death sentence, but the Appellate Division rejected his petition. Authorities carried out his execution on the night of 29 November 2017.