In the much-talked 21st August grenade attack case, the High Court on Sunday acquitted all the defendants, including BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar.
BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) lawyers said in their response to the verdict: “Tarique Rahman was sentenced for political motives.”
Kayser Kamal, a lawyer in the case and law affairs secretary of BNP, said: “A total four charge sheets were filed in the case and Tarique Rahman’s name was not in the first there charge sheets.”
“After Sheikh Hasina came to power, Tarique Rahman’s name was included in the fourth charge sheet,” he continued.
He added: “It has been proven today that the charge sheet was illegal. That’s why those who were made accused in the charge sheet were acquitted from this case.”
The barrister also said: “All those who were convicted in the case were acquitted regardless of their appeal.”
“Tarique Rahman has served justice,” he said, adding: “Today this also have been proved that he (Mr Tarique) has been sentenced in the case for political reasons.”
The trial court’s verdict was declared “invalid”. Talking about this issue, Advocate Zainul Abedin, a senior BNP lawyer, said: “On 21st August, AL was given permission to hold a public meeting in nearby area, but they changed the venue without informing the authority and staged rally in the street.”
“It was intentional and she (Sheikh Hasina) did this to embarrass the then government. This grenade attack was politically motivated,” the senior lawyer continued.
He said: “Analyzing the evidences and witnesses, the court reached the decision that the sentence can’t be sustained based on the charge sheet. No one can be given death penalty of life imprisonment without direct evidence.”
Translated by Bangladesh Pratidin English/ Afsar Munna
