Aug 21 grenade attack case gathers dust owing to 'excuses'

An array of excuses from both defence and prosecution have delayed conclusion of trial in deadly Aug 21 grenade attack twelve years ago.

While the prosecution blames the defendants for needlessly letting the case hang through a host of 'lame excuses', the defendants hit back at the prosecution for presenting 'false witnesses' in court.

The attack targeted an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on 21 August 2004 when the BNP-Jamaat government was in power.

Sheikh Hasina, at the time leader of the opposition in parliament, was the leading speaker at the rally.

She was stepping off the truck, which was being used as a dais, when the assailants hurled the grenades into the rally. Detectives said 13 to 14 grenades were detonated on the day.

Among those killed in the blasts was Bangladesh Mohila Awami League president Ivy Rahman, wife of senior Awami League leader Zillur Rahman, who was later to be elected the country’s president. The attack left Sheikh Hasina with hearing problems.

Late Dhaka mayor Mohammad Hanif was among over 500 injured in the explosions.

During the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, attempts were made to play down the incident and put a lid onthe case.

A proper chargesheet was submitted and investigations initiated once the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government took charge in January 2007.

Investigations received a new fillip when the Awami League returned to power in 2009.

The names of 30 others were added to the list of the accused in the case.

Among the 30 was BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman.

The case was shifted from the Speedy Trial Tribunal to the Sessions Judge's Court and has again been handed back to the tribunal.

When bdnews24.com wanted to know of the latest status of the case from Public Prosecutor Syed Rezaur Rahman, he said that the prosecution would finish recording the statements of witnesses by the end of this year.

He said this would be followed by defence hearings and then arguments would follow. A verdict would follow only after that, he said.

“The defendants are delaying the case through excuses. They keep making requests, and keep moving the High Court on several excuses,” Rahman alleged.

Defence lawyer Abdus Subhan Tarafdar said, “The prosecution keeps summoning irrelevant witnesses and wasting time during the proceedings.”

Records reveal that counsel for the accused had sought a recall of witnesses from number 1 to 61 for depositions before the court again towards the start of the year just before the submission of the complementary chargesheet.

The plea was turned down by the tribunal, following which the accused moved the High Court over the issue.

However, when they failed to provide the requisite records on verdict or hearing sought by the High Court, the court upheld the prosecution’s witness gathering records.

First Investigating Officer SI Amir Hossain’s testimony was recorded in mid March while CID Additional Police Superintendent and second investigating officer Fazlul Kabir’s testimony was recorded in June.

CID senior special superintendent Abdul Kahar Akondo, who is investigating the case now, is expected to depose before the court as a prosecution witness.

Akondo is also investigating the Bangabandhu assassination and other high profile investigations in the country.