21 Aug grenade attack: Hearing complete, HC expected to deliver verdict on death references, appeals soon

The High Court has finished hearing the arguments of all sides on the death references and appeals of the August 21 grenade attack cases and is expected to deliver its verdict any day now. 

The HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain kept the death references and the appeals in the cases as curia advisari vult, after finishing the hearing on the matters today (21 November), according to court sources.

Hearing on the matters began 31 October with Deputy Attorney General Md Jasim Sarker representing the state and advocates SM Shahjahan and Shishir Munir representing the accused.

Earlier on 10 October 2018, a Dhaka court sentenced 19 people, including former home affairs state minister Lutfozzaman Babar and BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu, to death in the two cases filed in connection with the grenade attacks.

Besides 19 others, including BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Another 11 accused were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment.

Later that year, on 27 November, the judgment, along with all necessary documents, of the trial court in reached the death reference wing of the High Court. The imprisoned accused appealed against the verdicts of the court.

In 2022, a High Court bench led by Justice Sahidul Karim began hearing the appeals and the death references. In between the hearings, the bench was reconstituted, and the new bench restarted the hearing.