August 21 Grenade Attack: Tarique Rahman, All Accused Acquitted

In the highly controversial August 21 grenade attack case, the High Court has acquitted BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, and all other accused.

The High Court bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahman delivered the verdict on Sunday (December 1) at around 11:00 AM, overturning the judgment of the trial court.

Earlier, on November 21, hearings concluded on the death references and appeals filed by the accused challenging the trial court's verdict. On that day, the case was reserved for judgment, which was subsequently included in the court’s agenda today (Sunday). The verdict was pronounced at 11:00 AM.

Background:

On August 21, 2004, a grenade attack targeted a rally of the then-opposition leader Sheikh Hasina on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka. The attack killed 24 leaders and activists of her party and injured Sheikh Hasina and hundreds of others.

Following the attack, two cases were filed under murder and explosives laws. In 2018, the trial court delivered its verdict, sentencing 19 people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and former deputy education minister Abdus Salam Pintu, to death.

Additionally, the court sentenced 19 individuals, including BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman, to life imprisonment and handed varying terms of imprisonment and financial penalties to 11 others.

The death sentences were registered as death reference cases with the High Court in 2018 for approval. Meanwhile, the convicted individuals who were in custody filed jail appeals and regular appeals through prison authorities.

The prosecution began hearings in the murder case on December 4, 2022, before a dual bench. However, after a government change, one of the justices in the dual bench was replaced, leading to the reconstitution of the appellate bench. Subsequently, on October 31, the newly formed bench resumed hearings on the appeals.