Dhaka: The High Court on Tuesday confirmed the death for one person for killing the Scholastica schoolgirl Shazneen Tasnim Rahman and acquitted four persons of the charges against them.

An appellate division bench led by Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha issued the final verdict in the morning.

The other members of the bench are Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Iman Ali, Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique, and Justice Mirza Hossain Haider.

The prosecution lawyer was Attorney general Mahbubey Alam while the defence counsel for the case was Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and Khandeker Mahbube Hossain conduct the hearing on behalf of appeal petitioners.

The accused whose capital punishment was confirmed is Shahidul Islam Shahid, the domestic help of Shazneen’s residence.

However, Syed Sajjad Moinuddin Hassan, a construction contractor, his associate Badal, Estema Khatun Minu, and Parvin, domestic assistants, were acquitted of charges.

Earlier, the court acquitted carpenter Shoniram Mandal, who was of the accused in the case.

On 23 April, 1998, Shazneen, a Class-IX student of Scholastica School in Dhaka and daughter of Transcom Group chairman Latifur Rahman, was brutally murdered at her house.

On 2 September, 2003, Judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Kazi Rahmatullah handed down death penalty to six accused for their involvement in planning and executing the murder.

The convicts were Syed Sazzad Mainuddin Hasan, a contractor who was appointed to repair the house; Shahidul Islam alias Shahid, a domestic help; Sazzad’s assistant Badal; carpenter Shaniram Mandal, and maids Estema Khatun Minu and Parvin.

On 10 July, 2006, the High Court upheld the death penalty of five convicts and acquitted carpenter Shaniram Mandal of the charges.

Later, four of the convicts filed a leave-to-appeal with the Supreme Court against the High Court order that was granted by the Appellate Division on 26 April, 2009.

Another convict, Shahidul, filed a jail appeal.

The Appellate Division started the hearing on the appeals on 29 March last and concluded the hearing on 11 April.