The High Court has acquitted all the accused in the August 21 grenade attack case, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, and former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, who had been sentenced to death.
On Sunday (December 1), the High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain announced the verdict, overturning the trial court’s judgment. Prior to the verdict, a four-day hearing on the appeals took place, concluding with the announcement today.
The trial court had earlier sentenced 19 individuals, including Babar, to death, 19 others, including Tarique Rahman, to life imprisonment, and 11 police and military officers to varying terms of imprisonment.
On November 21, the High Court concluded its hearing and reserved the verdict for this case. The grenade attack, which targeted an Awami League rally on August 21, resulted in 24 deaths and injuries to nearly 300 people. Then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack.
On October 10, 2018, a Dhaka court sentenced 19 individuals, including Lutfozzaman Babar, to death and 19 others, including Tarique Rahman, currently residing in London, to life imprisonment. Additionally, 11 others received varying prison sentences.
Of those convicted, 18 remain fugitives, while 31 are in custody.
During the hearing of the death reference and appeals, defense lawyers argued for the dismissal of the trial court’s judgment and sought the acquittal of all accused. The High Court began hearing the death reference, appeals, and jail appeals related to the grenade attack case on October 31.
Deputy Attorney General Md. Jasim Sarkar, along with Russell Ahmed and Assistant Attorney General Laboni Akter, represented the prosecution during the hearing. Senior lawyer SM Shahjahan appeared for several convicted individuals, including Babar and Abdus Salam Pintu. Additionally, lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir argued on behalf of three of the convicted individuals.
