Supreme Court acquits all four accused in murder of college student Bushra

The Supreme Court has acquitted all four accused in the 2000 murder of an 18-year-old girl in Dhaka.

An appeals bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha delivered the verdict on Tuesday.

College student Rushdania Islam Bushra was raped and killed at her home in the capital's Malibagh.

In 2003, the tribunal for prevention of women and children repression in Dhaka sentenced three accused to death and the fourth to life imprisonment.

Those facing the death sentence were former Awami League relief affairs secretary Abdul Quader, Sheikh Shawkat Ahmed Ruhul and Sheikh Kabir Ahmed while Quader's wife Runu was sentenced to life in prison.

The High Court in January 2007, upheld the verdict for Quader and his wife but acquitted Kabir and Ruhul.

The State and the defence had moved the Supreme Court against the verdict.

On Tuesday, the top court acquitted the couple and scrapped the State's plea challenging the acquittals of the two others accused, upholding the High Court's verdict.

Deputy Attorney General Khondokar Dilaruzzaman said they will decide whether to go for a review after the full verdict is available.

On Jul 1, 2000, Bushra, a student of Dhaka's City College, was found murdered in her home at Malibagh's Chowdhuryparha neighbourhood.

The autopsy report said that assailants had raped the 18-year-old before killing her by using sharp weapons.