The trial of two cases filed over the deadly grenade attack of August 21, 2004 resumed yesterday after three months with the partial cross-examination of Joj Mia.
Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal 1 Judge Shahed Noor Uddin later fixed January 27 for next hearing in the cases – one filed for murder and the other for use of explosives.
Defence counsels of 15 accused cross examined Joj Miah during the trial proceeding.
Joj Mia testified at the tribunal on September 30 last year as the 104th prosecution witness.
The recording of deposition had been stopped since than as a defence counsel, Mohammad Ali, filed a petition for expunging Joj Miah’s statement mentioning that the witness had given confessional statement in the cases.
As the tribunal rejected the petition, the defence counsels went to the High Court. On November 23, the High Court cleared way for the trial proceedings.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s elder son Tarique Rahman, a number of former cabinet members of the BNP-Jamaat-led government, and some militants are facing trial in the cases.
At least 24 people including Ivy Rahman were killed in the grenade attack launched on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004. Then opposition leader and now Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped death but her one ear was impaired.
Then the government staged a drama by accusing petty criminal Joj Miah and notorious Seven Star Group of carrying out the attack. According to Joj Mia, he was forced by some officials of the Criminal Investigation Department to give the confessional statement. It was also alleged that the law enforcers had damaged evidence from the crime scene.
Hasina blamed BNP high-ups
Ten months after the attack, Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina citing an investigation by her party claimed that at least 50 criminals had carried out the attack in cahoots with the police.
Addressing a press conference on June 13, 2005, Hasina said BNP chief Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique, then home state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, Nasiruddin Pintu and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury organised the attack, says a US embassy cable released by whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
“After the attack, the criminals, who were earlier given training at Dewanganj in Jamalpur, went for Singair in Natore where a petrol pump owner gave them shelter. Prior to the attack, they held a series of meetings at Thanthonia Bazar in Bogra.”
She said: “I have heard that four persons wearing veil offloaded a consignment of arms from a tinted jeep in Tarique’s in-law’s residence at Dhanmondi on the night of August 20. The arms were used in the attack on the Awami League rally.”
Hasina also alleged that the police had fired tear gas after the attack to provide cover for the fleeing assailants, says the cable sent to Washington by then ambassador to Dhaka Harry K Thomas on June 15, 2005.
The former ambassador in the same cable mentioned: “On June 14, Babar claimed to us that the BDG [Bangladesh government] has identified the individuals involved in the August 21 attack, but acknowledged there is no concrete evidence of ‘direct’ involvement by AL leaders.”
It also stated that the government’s official inquiry, which was never released, concluded that India had been behind the attack but acted without Awami League’s knowledge.
In another cable sent on February 7, 2005, Harry said: “We have serious concerns given our experience after the August 21 attack, when the BDG denied ATF consultants access to key witnesses and failed to protect the crime scene from severe contamination.”