Accusing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said those responsible for the heinous grenade attack on August 21, 2004, will be punished.
“It was not possible to carry out such an attack without patronization of the BNP-Jamaat government,” she said while addressing a memorial discussion marking the 15th anniversary of the August 21 grenade attack at Krishibid Institute of Bangladesh (KIB) in Dhaka, on Wednesday.
The deadly grenade attack was carried out at an anti-terrorism rally of Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka, killing 24 people, including including the then president of Bangladesh Mohila Awami League and late President Zillur Rahman's wife, Ivy Rahman, and injured over 500 others.
Addressing the memorial discussion, the prime minister said: “It (the patronization of BNP-Jamaat in the grenade attack) has become a truth that was proved by evidences and we have got a verdict upon filing a case.”
The prime minister said that incidents of staging Joj Mia drama; destroying evidences of the grenade attack; barring the AL volunteers from going to the rooftops of adjoining buildings around the rally venue; subjecting the party leaders and activists to torture by charging batons; lobbing teargas shells to help the attackers flee from the scene; and conducting a judicial inquiry all bore testimony to evidences of BNP-Jamaat’s patronization in the grenade attack.
“Now, it will go to the higher court as a death reference and we hope to get the justice," Sheikh Hasina said. "Regrettably, the party leaders, workers and supporters who were killed in the attack will not return."
Though Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack, she lost her hearing ability due to the impact of the repeated grenade blasts near the truck-dais of the huge public rally.
A one minute silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memories of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other martyrs of the August 15, 1975 carnage, the four national leaders and the martyrs of the August 21, 2004 grenade attacks.
AL Advisory Council Member Amir Hossain Amu, its Presidium Members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, and Adv. Sahara Khatun MP, AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, central leader Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya (Bir Bikram), Organising Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon, Dhaka South City AL President Abul Hasnat, AL leader SM Kamal Hossain, and Dhaka North City AL General Secretary Sadek Khan, spoke on the occasion.
Publicity and Publication Secretary of AL and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and its Deputy Publicity and Publication Secretary Aminul Islam jointly moderated the function.
