The Appellate Division will hear on Wednesday (20 August) appeals against the acquittal of all accused in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack case, including BNP leader Tarique Rahman, sentenced to life imprisonment, and former state minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, sentenced to death.
The hearing follows a High Court verdict on December 1, 2018 that acquitted all accused, overturning the trial court’s 2018 ruling. The Appellate Bench, led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, issued the schedule after the third day of hearings on Tuesday (19 July).
Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Masud will represent the state, while Advocates SM Shahjahan and Mohammad Shishir Manir will represent Tarique and Babar. Senior BNP lawyers, including Zainul Abedin, Kaiser Kamal, Ruhul Quddus Kajol, and others, are also representing the accused.
Verdict Background
In October 2018, the trial court had sentenced Lutfozzaman Babar and 19 others to death and Tarique Rahman, along with 19 others, to life imprisonment. Eleven other accused received varying prison terms. Convicted individuals were found guilty under Sections 302/120B/34 of the Penal Code.
The attack occurred during an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. Sheikh Hasina, then Opposition Leader, narrowly survived, but 24 people, including Ivy Rahman, party Women Affairs Secretary, were killed, and over 300 were injured.
Following investigations, charges were filed against 52 accused, including BNP leaders, Huji members, and former government and law enforcement officials. Some death sentences were executed in other cases, leaving 49 accused in this case, of whom 31 were in jail during the verdict announcement.
The case’s appeals and death references have gone through multiple hearings over the years, including during caretaker and subsequent Awami League governments. The Supreme Court’s upcoming hearing could be a decisive moment in the long-running case.
