Kazi Rahamat Ullah, judge of the Second Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka, will pronounce the verdict at 11:30am, court sources said.

Both the prosecution and defence had completed their arguments on August 24. The tribunal recorded statements of 22 out of the 74 prosecution witnesses.

The trial of the case began on July 9, 2000 and took 126 working days to finish.

Fifteen-year-old Shazneen Tasnim Rahman, the youngest daughter of Latifur Rahman, chairman of Transcom Limited, was raped and killed at their Gulshan residence in the city on April 23, 1998.

Rahman filed a murder case with the Gulshan Police Station the following day accusing Shahidul alias Shahid, a domestic help at his house.

Mojibur Rahman, assistant superintendent of CID (Criminal Investigation Department), filed a rape case with the Gulshan Police Station on September 4, 1998, accusing Shahid, Hasan, Badal, Shaniram, Humayun (now dead), Minu and Parvin.

Mojibur, who was also investigation officer of the rape case, submitted a chargesheet against Shahid and five others on December 12, 1998, showing 74 people as prosecution witnesses.

The tribunal framed charges against the six chargesheeted accused on April 13, 1999.

After the charges were framed, defence lawyers filed a criminal appeal with the High Court (HC) Division seeking stay on charge framing.

After hearing, the HC Division stayed proceedings of the case on August 25, 1999. Later, the HC Division vacated the stay order on November 1, 1999, and directed the tribunal to frame charges against the accused.

Subsequently, charges were framed on May 28, 2000.

The HC Division also stayed the proceedings of the Shazneen murder case, pending with the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Dhaka, till disposal of the Shazneen rape case.

The death of Shazneen sent a wave of shock across the country. Various human rights groups and civil society members are eagerly awaiting the verdict of the case.