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Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on Thursday said the state party will appeal before the higher court seeking enhancement of punishment of BNP’s acting chairperson Tarique Rahman in the August 21 grenade attack cases after reviewing the verdict on getting the full text of the judgment.
“We will review the judgment. If we think that he (Tarique) deserves death penalty as a kingpin, then we will appeal to enhance the punishment of Tarique who has been awarded life time imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack cases. It will depend on the review of full judgment,” he told reporters at his office in the city.
Alam said the international law does not support any convicted criminal to take political asylum. “Tarique Rahman has been awarded life time imprisonment. Therefore it is not difficult to bring him (Tarique) back to the country,” he added, reports BSS.
He said his office will take steps for quick hearing on the death reference of the August 21 grenade attack cases. “The copies of the judgment will be given to those who were sentenced to death penalty from the court at free of cost. If they appeal, then those will come to the High Court as death references. We will take steps for quick hearing,” he added.
The attorney general said one Pakistani citizen was also awarded punishment in the grenade attack cases. “We suppose that Pakistan is still hatching conspiracies to make Bangladesh leaderless. We think that they (Pakistan) are plotting conspiracies to create anarchy in Bangladesh,” he added.
A court has sentenced to death to 19 people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and life imprisonment to another 19, including ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s fugitive son and BNP’s current acting chairman Tarique Rahman on the August 21, 2004 grenade attack charges.