In the August 21, 2004 grenade attack case in Dhaka's Bangabandhu Avenue, the death sentence approval (death reference), appeal and jail appeal judgment in the High Court may be announced tomorrow, Sunday.
According to the information given on the website of the Supreme Court today Saturday, the bench consisting of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain has included the cases number 54 and 55 in the agenda tomorrow for judgment.
On August 21, 2004, there was a grenade attack on the Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital. Awami League alleged that the purpose of this attack was to kill Sheikh Hasina and make Awami League leaderless. 24 people were killed and more than 300 people were injured in the attack.
In this incident, two cases were registered in Motijheel Police Station under the Murder and Explosives Act. However, it is alleged that the then BNP-Jamaat coalition government tried to take the two cases in different directions.
A new investigation into the case began in 2007 under the caretaker government. In 2008, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police charged 22 people. Later, during the Awami League government, the case was further investigated and 30 others including BNP Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman were included in the supplementary charge sheet.
On October 10, 2018, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 announced the verdict in this case. In the verdict, 19 people including former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar and former deputy education minister Abdus Salam Pintu were sentenced to death and 19 people including acting chairman of BNP Tariq Rahman were sentenced to life imprisonment. Apart from this, 11 persons were ordered to undergo various terms of imprisonment and fine.
After the judgment of the trial court, the case file is sent to the High Court, which is registered as a death reference. Apart from this, the convicts filed appeals and jail appeals.
The hearing on the death reference, appeal and jail appeal in the High Court began on October 31 and concluded on November 21. Deputy Attorney General for the state in the hearing. Jasim Sarkar, Russell Ahmed and Assistant Attorney General Labani Akter participated.
Senior advocate SM Shahjahan and advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir along with others appeared for the accused.
Senior lawyer SM Shahjahan claimed that those accused in the second charge sheet of the case are not legally acceptable. Because, it is filed directly in the judge's court, which is not correct according to the Criminal Procedure Code. He further said that if the charges are not properly proved, all the accused may be acquitted.
Lawyer Shishir Monir pointed out that the further investigation based on Mufti Hannan's second statement also has no legal basis. He alleged that confessions were obtained through torture and pleaded for the acquittal of the accused.
After the hearing of this case, the High Court kept the A-related cases pending judgment (CAV). In that sequence, the cases are coming up in the agenda tomorrow. Lawyers hope the verdict will bring a final settlement to the case.
