The High Court today delivered its verdict on the August 21 grenade attack case, declaring the trial court’s proceedings illegal. Mohammad Shishir Monir, lawyer for three of the accused, stated that the trial in the lower court was not conducted in accordance with the law.
A High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain nullified the trial court’s verdict based on the supplementary charge sheet. The High Court rejected the death reference and allowed the appeals filed by the accused, leading to the acquittal of all individuals convicted in the case. This includes BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar.
After the ruling, Shishir Monir told Prothom Alo that the trial court had sentenced 49 people in its 2018 verdict—19 to death, 19 to life imprisonment, and the rest to varying prison terms. The High Court accepted the appeals, declared the rule appropriate, and acquitted all the accused. He emphasized that the trial court’s proceedings lacked legal grounding, citing discrepancies between witness testimonies and claims that confessional statements were extracted through torture.
Monir pointed out that some confessions, such as those by militant Mufti Hannan, were retracted and lacked legal credibility. Furthermore, he argued that the supplementary charge sheet, submitted directly to the Sessions Court, was unlawfully accepted. The High Court found the sentencing based on this charge sheet to be illegal.
The High Court’s judgment follows hearings on the case’s death references and appeals, which concluded on November 21. The grenade attack occurred on August 21, 2004, targeting a rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka, allegedly intending to assassinate Sheikh Hasina and destabilize the Awami League.
Initially, the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 convicted 49 individuals on October 10, 2018. Later investigations led to supplementary charges implicating more individuals, including Tarique Rahman.
Legal experts noted that under law, death sentences issued by trial courts must receive High Court approval, known as death reference cases. Appeals from the convicted can also be filed simultaneously. The hearings for these matters commenced on October 31, 2024.
This verdict marks a significant turn in the legal saga surrounding one of Bangladesh’s most notorious attacks, signaling legal irregularities in the trial court’s proceedings.
