Staff Correspondent:

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court ruling that acquitted BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, former State Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, and 47 others in two cases filed over the 21 August grenade attack.

A six-member appellate bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed, delivered the verdict on Thursday (4 September).

Advocate SM Shahjahan and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir represented Tarique Rahman and Lutfozzaman Babar in the court.

Earlier on 21 August, a six-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, fixed today (September 4) for delivering the verdict after concluding hearings on the appeals.

On 1 December last year, the High Court acquitted all 49 accused, including Tarique and Babar, rejecting trial court verdicts that had convicted and sentenced them for the grenade attack on an Awami League rally in 2004.

The acquittal followed hearings on death references and appeals filed by several convicts. The state later filed appeals with the Appellate Division seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision.

The grenade attack took place on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on 21 August 2004. In the cases (murder and explosives), the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 delivered its verdict on 10 October 2018.

The court sentenced 19 individuals, including former state minister Lutfouzzaman Babar and former deputy education minister Abdus Salam Pintu, to death.

Moreover, 19 others, including Tarique Rahman, were sentenced to life imprisonment, while 11 others received various prison terms and fines.

The High Court started hearing the death reference, appeals, and jail appeals for the 21st August grenade attack case on 31 October.

Two cases were filed in Motijheel police station under murder and explosives acts.

In 2007, the then caretaker government began a fresh investigation into the two cases. In 2008, the CID filed charges against 22 individuals. The investigation suggested that the attackers, linked to extremists, aimed to kill Sheikh Hasina to eliminate the leadership of the Awami League.

Further investigations were carried out during the Awami League government. Later, a supplementary charge sheet was filed accusing 30 people including Tarique Rahman.