HC ends Aug 21 grenade attack hearing, verdict expected

The High Court has wrapped up hearing the appeal and death reference regarding the widely publicised Aug 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally.

A verdict may be delivered at any time, reports bdnews24.com.

On Thursday, Justices AKM Asaduzzaman and Syed Enayet Hossain reserved the case for judgement after the arguments concluded.

Deputy Attorney General Md Jasim Sarkar represented the prosecution, while senior lawyers SM Shahjahan and Shishir Monir defended the defendants.

Shahjahan said, “While the verdict could be announced soon, additional time might be needed for reviewing documents and writing the judgement.”

The attack on Aug 21, 2004, during the coalition government of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, killed 24 people and targeted a rally headlined by by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Bangabandhu Avenue.

Fourteen years later, on Oct 10, 2018, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka’s First Speedy Trial Tribunal delivered the initial verdict.

Nineteen individuals, including former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu in former prime minister Khaleda Zia's government, were sentenced to death.

BNP leader Tarique Rahman, among others, was handed down life imprisonment, while 11 security officials faced varying prison terms.

Following the tribunal’s verdict, the judgement and death reference documents were sent to the High Court on Nov 27, 2018, for further scrutiny and approval—a necessary step for executing death sentences.

The hearing on death references, appeals, and jail petitions began on Dec 5, 2022, after a lengthy process of documentation and paper book preparation.

Over 37,000 pages of case materials, including statements, charge sheets, witness testimonies, and judgements, were reviewed.

BNP's Acting Chairperson Tarique, who resides in the UK, was adjudged a fugitive by court and was unable to appeal.

High Court proceedings on the case resumed in December 2022.