The date of the verdicts in the August 21 grenade attack cases is expected to be announced today after prosecution lawyers have responded to the closing arguments of the defence over the 2004 assassination attempt on Sheikh Hasina.
Chief prosecutor Syed Rezaur Rahman concluded the state arguments on Monday, alleging that key evidence linking the defendants with the crime scene had been destroyed.
“A total 15 Arges grenades were used in the attack, of which four were recovered unexploded,” he said in his concluding argument.
“But the authorities, without even bothering ask permission of the court, destroyed this evidence.”
The chief prosecutor also claimed the conspiracy over the attack was formed in 10 places - “including Tarique Rahman’s notorious Hawa Bhaban”.
Also Read- August 21 grenade attack verdicts due by next month
Syed Rezaur Rahman also submitted copies of 25 daily newspapers that carried reports on the August 21 attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka, before defence counsels advocate Mainuddin and advocate SM Shahjahan placed their counter arguments and rebuttal.
The prosecution lawyers said the defence would conclude their arguments on Tuesday, after which the prosecution will place rebuttal on the defence arguments.
The Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 is then expected to set the date to pronounce its verdicts in the two cases: one filed for murder and another lodged under explosive substance act.
Including Monday, the prosecution placed arguments on legal points for three days. A total of 225 prosecution witnesses have been examined in the cases, however, of the 118 days of hearings in the cases, 89 days were taken by the defence.
A total of 24 Awami League leaders and party members including the then Mohila Awami League President and wife of late President Zillur Rahman, Ivy Rahman, were killed and 500 others were injured in the 2004 attack.
The total number of the accused in the cases was 52. Three of those, including Mufti Abdul Hannan, have been executed in other cases while 18 are yet to be arrested and are being tried in-absentia.
Of the accused, 23 including former state minister Lutfuzzaman Babar and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, are in jail.
That leaves eight standing trial, for whom bail was revoked on Monday at the request of the senior jurist as the verdicts in the cases is imminent.
