The family of Taslima Begum Renu, the victim of a 2019 lynching, has said they are dissatisfied with the verdict in the highly publicized murder case, saying they will take the matter to the High Court.
The statement came from Nazmunnahar Nazma, Renu's sister, on Wednesday, after a trial court sentenced one person to death and four others to life imprisonment in the case.
Both of Renu's children, Taseen Al Mahir, 16, and Tasmin Mahira Tuba, 9, said they had expected the maximum penalty of death for the accused.
Nazma said: “My sister was beaten to death five years and two months ago. We still cannot forget her. Many were involved in my sister's murder, yet the court has acquitted several people."
"We want the death penalty for the accused, and we will go to a higher court against this verdict,” she added.
In a statement regarding the ruling, Taseen said: “We were waiting for this verdict. We expected the highest punishment for the accused, but we are not satisfied with the sentencing.”
Judge Murshid Ahmed of the Dhaka Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court delivered the verdict earlier in the day, sentencing five and acquitting eight others.Ibrahim alias Hridoy Molla received the death sentence, while Ria Begum Moyna, Abul Kalam Azad, Kamal Hossain and Asadul Islam got life sentences.
The court also fined the convicted individuals Tk1 lakh each.
The judge acquitted eight defendants – Md Shahin, Bacchu Mia, Md Bappi, Murad Mia, Sohel Rana, Bellal Molla, Md Raju and Mohin Uddin – due to lack of evidence.
On July 20, 2019, Renu was brutally beaten by an angry mob in Uttar Badda after she was suspected of being a child abductor.
She was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
On the same day, Renu's nephew Nasir Uddin filed a murder case against 400-500 unidentified individuals with Badda police.
On September 10, 2020, the investigation officer, Inspector Abdul Haq of the Detective Branch (DB) of police, pressed charges against 15 people at the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
On April 1, 2021, Judge Fatima Imroz Khonika of the Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court framed charges against 13 of the accused.
Two individuals named in the police charge sheet, Jafar Hossain Patwary and Wasim Ahmed, who were underage at the time, are being tried separately in juvenile court.