Kazi Rahamat Ullah, judge of the Second Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka, will pronounce the verdict at 1:00pm, court sources said.

Both the prosecution and defence 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.

Shazneen Tasnim Rahman, 15, the youngest daughter of Latifur Rahman, chairman of Transcom Ltd., was raped and killed at their Gulshan residence in the city on April 23, 1998.

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

Mojibur Rahman, assistant superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department, filed a rape case with 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, pressed charges against Shahid and five others on December 12, 1998, showing 74 people as prosecution witnesses.

The tribunal framed charges against the six 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 stayed proceedings of the case on August 25, 1999. Later, the HC vacated the stay on November 1, 1999, and directed the tribunal to frame charges against the accused.

Subsequently, charges were framed on May 28, 2000.

The HC 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 shock waves across the country. Various human rights groups and civil society members are waiting for the verdict.