Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday acquitted four persons accused in a case filed for raping and killing college student Rushdania Islam Bushra in Dhaka in 2000.
A Bench of Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha delivered the verdict accepting an appeal filed by the accused who were convicted by High Court.
The acquitted persons are: M Abdul Kader, former Relief and Social Welfare Secretary of Awami League, Dhaka city unit,
Sheikh Shawkat Ahmed Ruhul Sheikh Kabir Ahmed and Kader’s wife Runu Akhter.
Senior Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain defended the accused and Deputy Attorney General Khandaker Diluruzzaman stood for the State.
In 2003, a tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Kader, Shawkat and Kabir to death, and Runu to life imprisonment in its verdict in the Bushra killing case.
Four years later, the High Court (HC) upheld Kader’s death sentence, Runu’s life term imprisonment but acquitted Shawkat and Kabir.
Later Kader and Runu filed two appeal petitions with the appellate division of the SC against the HC verdict. On the other hand, the government filed two separate appeals with the apex court against acquittals of Shawkat and Kabir in the murder case.
After holding hearing on the appeals, the apex court on Tuesday acquitted AL former leader Kader and his wife Runu and upheld acquittal of the two others.
Khandaker Diluruzzaman said that they wiould think about review after release of full verdict.
Khandker Mahbub Hossain said there was not enough evidence to convict my clients in this case. The lower court punished them only on assumption, he added.
Rushdania Islam Bushra was killed on July 1, 2000 in their residence at Malibagh Chowdhury Para of the capital. According to post-mortem report, she was killed with a sharp weapon after raping.
Her father Sirajul Islam, Assistant Superintendent of Police, was in the USA at that time. So her mother Laila Islam filed a case.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday acquitted four persons accused in a case filed for raping and killing college student Rushdania Islam Bushra in Dhaka in 2000.
A Bench of Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha delivered the verdict accepting an appeal filed by the accused who were convicted by High Court.
The acquitted persons are: M Abdul Kader, former Relief and Social Welfare Secretary of Awami League, Dhaka city unit,
Sheikh Shawkat Ahmed Ruhul Sheikh Kabir Ahmed and Kader’s wife Runu Akhter.
Senior Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain defended the accused and Deputy Attorney General Khandaker Diluruzzaman stood for the State.
In 2003, a tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Kader, Shawkat and Kabir to death, and Runu to life imprisonment in its verdict in the Bushra killing case.
Four years later, the High Court (HC) upheld Kader’s death sentence, Runu’s life term imprisonment but acquitted Shawkat and Kabir.
Later Kader and Runu filed two appeal petitions with the appellate division of the SC against the HC verdict. On the other hand, the government filed two separate appeals with the apex court against acquittals of Shawkat and Kabir in the murder case.
After holding hearing on the appeals, the apex court on Tuesday acquitted AL former leader Kader and his wife Runu and upheld acquittal of the two others.
Khandaker Diluruzzaman said that they wiould think about review after release of full verdict.
Khandker Mahbub Hossain said there was not enough evidence to convict my clients in this case. The lower court punished them only on assumption, he added.
Rushdania Islam Bushra was killed on July 1, 2000 in their residence at Malibagh Chowdhury Para of the capital. According to post-mortem report, she was killed with a sharp weapon after raping.
Her father Sirajul Islam, Assistant Superintendent of Police, was in the USA at that time. So her mother Laila Islam filed a case.
