Renu murder: Man to die, four get life in prison

A Dhaka court has sentenced a man to death and four other people to life sentences in prison for the lynching of Taslima Begum Renu, who was believed to be a child abductor, in Dhaka’s Badda in 2019.

Dhaka 6th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Morshed Alam delivered the verdict in the much-discussed case on Wednesday.

The court sentenced Ibrahim aka Hridoy Mollik, who law enforcers identified as the prime suspect in the murder, to death over the killing.

Riya Begum Moina, Abul Kalam Azad, Kamal Hossain, and Asadul Islam all received life terms in prison.

Each of the convicts have also been fined Tk 100,000. An inability to pay the fine will be penalised with another year in prison.

The judge also acquitted eight other suspects – Shahin, Bachchu Mia, Bappi aka Shahidul Islam, Murad Mia, Sohel Rana, Bellal Molla, Raju aka Rumman Hossain, and Mohiuddin – in the case.

Renu was beaten to death in front of Dhaka’s North Badda Government Primary School on Jul 20 as rumours were swirling about the abduction of children. The 42-year-old woman had gone to the area to make enquiries about admitting her daughter to the school.

Renu’s nephew, Syed Nasir Uddin Titu, filed a murder case against 500 unidentified people over the shocking incident.

The plaintiff also filed a supplementary affidavit in the court seeking to name North Badda Government Primary School Head Teacher Shahnaz Begum and other teachers, students, officials, and employees at the school as suspects. The court ordered the incident to be investigated.

On Sept 10, 2020, Detective Branch Inspector Abdul Haque filed a chargesheet against 13 people and a separate one against two minors.

On Apr 1, 2021, Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Fatima Imrose indicted the 13 adults accused in the case and ordered the trial to begin.

Nineteen of the 26 witnesses identified in the case gave their testimony.

On Sept 22 that same year, Judge Mosammat Kamrunnahar of the Dhaka 7th Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal indicted the two minors and ordered the case to trial.

After completing her studies, Renu had worked at Aarong and BRAC. She had also taught at a school.

In 2017, she and her husband Taslim Hossein were divorced.

Renu hailed from Lakshmipur’s Raipur.

Renu’s son Hasin Al Mahir is a student at Milestone School and College. He lives in a dormitory. His 9-year-old sister Tasmin Mahira Tuba lives with her aunt Nazmun Nahar Nazma and studies at Mohakhali’s Shishumela School.