‘Self-confessed' serial killer Rasu Khan gets death penalty for 2008 Shahida Begum murder

The ‘self-confessed' serial killer Rasu Khan has been given death penalty for the rape and murder of a woman.

The court of Chandpur's Additional District and Sessions Judge Arunav Chakravarty delivered the verdict on the 2008 murder on Wednesday.

Khan has been also fined Tk 50,000, said Additional Public Prosecutor Md Saidul Islam Babul.

In a separate charge, he has been sentenced to eight years in prison and fined Tk 10,000.

On Aug 18, 2008, Khan had raped Shahida Begum, who hailed from Khulna, before killing her at Chandpur's Faridganj. 

Police had found the body with hands and legs tied.

The then Chandpur Model Police SI Nazrul Islam filed a case accusing unidentified assailants. The final report was given later on since police could not make any headway.

Nearly a year later, on July 20, 2009, Khan was arrested by Faridganj police for theft of a fan from Nirashpur Mosque in Tongi. 

Police then started unravelling one murder after another and Khan was accused of murder of 11 women.

In a confession before Chandpur’s Judicial Magistrate Amirul Islam, Khan described how he executed the murders. He said he started his killing spree after ‘failing in love’.

He would charm and lure mostly garment workers and bring them to Chandpur. He raped the women he found attractive before killing them. The others would die straightaway.

The serial killer said in his confession that he targeted to kill 101 women and then spend the rest of his life as an ascetic in a Sylhet shrine.

After Khan admitted to killing Shahida, the case was reopened and proceedings started against him. 

The hearing in the eight-year-old case ended last Monday and verdict was given two days later.

Additional Public Prosecutor Saidul Islam said, “We are satisfied with the verdict. Serial killer Rasu Khan has got what he deserved getting after a long time.”

Noymul Islam, who was assigned as Khan’s defence lawyer, said whether proper judgment had been delivered will be decided at the High Court. “This is an initial sentencing.”