Despite experiencing several setbacks, including late commencement of trial proceedings, Joj Miah drama and Covid-19 situation, steps have been taken to start soon the hearing of the death references and appeals of the convicts in the two cases lodged over the barbaric grenade attack on an Awami League rally in capital's Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004, reports BSS.
"The proceedings of the two cases started a little late. Joj Miah drama was also staged. It took a long time to finish the trial in lower court. Now the proceedings are in the High Court, where the appeal hearing will start soon. I have talked to the attorney general in this regard," Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said, reports BSS.
Anisul added that the present government is very active regarding cases filed over August 21, 2004, grenade attack and will not exempt anyone convicted in the two cases filed over the barbaric incident.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said the state has pleaded to the chief justice to hold hearing of the cases on priority basis and the chief justice will now fix a bench for this.
"The two cases, one for murder and another filed under Explosives Substances Act, are very important for us. The plotters behind the heinous crime had tried to destroy our democratic system through that unprecedented attack," he said.
The chief law officer of the state hoped that the hearing of the two cases would start soon and the prosecution would present all the legal arguments necessary to uphold the lower court judgments.
At least 24 people were killed and around 500 injured in the gruesome attack on an Awami League rally on the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, the then opposition leader in parliament, narrowly escaped the attack with severe ear injuries.
A Dhaka court on October 10, 2018, sentenced to death to 19 people including former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar and awarded life imprisonment to another 19 including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman in the murder case filed over that heinous incident.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka's Speedy Trial Tribunal in his judgement also sentenced 11 others to different terms of jail.
The judge also made a 12-point observation on the background, motive and consequences of the attack, mainly targeting incumbent Prime Minister and the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina, who narrowly escaped the assault sustaining wounds.
Two separate cases, one for murder and another under Explosives Substances Act were filed on August 22, 2004, and the police on June 9, 2008 filed the charge sheet. The court on 29 September, 2008, framed charges in the cases.
Investigation Officer and also Additional Deputy Inspector General of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police on 2 July 2011 submitted a supplementary charge sheet before the court and the court on 18 March, 2012, framed charges afresh after taking the new charge sheet into cognizance.
The lower court on 27 November, 2018, sent 37,385 page case documents including the judgment to the High Court for further proceedings. The High Court on 13 January, 2019, accepted appeals filed by the convicts in the two cases filed over the 21 August grenade attack for hearing.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
