A speedy trial tribunal in Dhaka on Tuesday (Sep 18) fixed Oct 10 to deliver its verdict in two cases filed over the Aug 21 grenade attack on a Bangladesh Awami League rally in the capital in 2004. After hearing the closing arguments, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 fixed the date. The court also rejected the bail of eight accused and issued an order to send them to jail immediately, local media reports said.
Earlier, the court set Sep 17 and 18 for hearing the closing arguments after hearing the prosecution's rebuttal arguments against defence arguments on Sep 12.
On Oct 23 last, the prosecution started placing arguments before the tribunal in connection with the two cases filed over the Aug 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.
On Aug 21, 2004, the grisly grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally arranged by Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh alliance's rule, aiming to kill then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina.
At least 24 leaders and activists, including Awami League's women affairs secretary and late President Zillur Rahman's wife Ivy Rahman, were killed and 300 others injured in the grenade attack. Although Sheikh Hasina fortunately escaped unhurt in the attack, her hearing was affected.
Then the two cases -- one under the Explosive Substances Act and another for murder -- were filed in connection with the grenade attack.
In June, 2008, Criminal Investigation Department submitted a charge-sheet against 22 people in the case. The court on Aug 21, 2010 ordered further investigation into the grenade attack following a petition filed by the state.
A total of 52 people were held accused in the case while prosecution suggested an influential quarter of the then BNP regime masterminded its shocking plot engaging militant outfit HuJI and subsequently made desperate efforts to protect the assailants.
31 people accused including two former ministers faced the trial in person while 18 including BNP Senior Vice-President and ex-premier Begum Khaleda Zia’s elder son Tarique Rahman were tried in absentia. Tarique, now in London, and 17 others including several intelligence officials were earlier declared “absconding” as they were on the run to evade justice.
Eight suspects including three former police chiefs were on bail as the trial was underway while the court today scrapped their bail and ordered their confinement in jail with due facilities they deserved under law.
Three of the accused including top HuJI leader Mufty Abdul Hannan, however, were by now executed after trial in other cases.
