Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 has ordered the withdrawal of arrest warrants against Tarique Rahman and others acquitted in the August 21 grenade attack case.
Judge Rafiqul Islam of the tribunal issued this order following a petition from the prosecution on Monday.
Earlier, on December 1 last year, Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahim overturned the sentences handed down by the trial court and acquitted all the accused in the case.
Special Public Prosecutor of the concerned tribunal, Abdur Rashid Molla, said: “Several accused, including Tarique Rahman, who were acquitted in the case, were fugitives. In the verdict, the court ordered the withdrawal of their previous arrest warrants. Once the High Court’s order reached the trial court, we, on behalf of the prosecution, filed a petition to withdraw the arrest warrants against Tarique Rahman and others. Based on this petition, the court ordered the withdrawal of the warrants.”
On August 21, 2004, a grenade attack was carried out on a rally of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Bangabandhu Avenue. In the case filed over this incident, Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 delivered its verdict in 2018.
In the verdict, former state minister Lutfuzzaman Babar, former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, and 17 others were sentenced to death.
Additionally, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, BNP leader Haris Chowdhury, Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain, and 16 others were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Furthermore, 11 individuals were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment by the tribunal.
