21 Aug grenade attack: Apex court adjourns appeal hearing against acquittal of Tarique, Babar till 13 Aug
The chief justice questioned whether the Appellate Division could examine the Interpol investigation report related to the case.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has postponed until 13 August the hearing on the state's appeal against the High Court verdict that acquitted all accused in the 21 August grenade attack case, including former state minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar who was previously sentenced to death and the BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman who was given a life sentence.
The adjournment followed the third day of proceedings held today (31 July), with Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed presiding over a six-member Appellate Bench.
During the hearing, the chief justice questioned whether the Appellate Division could examine the Interpol investigation report related to the case. He also sought clarification on the state's position regarding the second charge sheet.
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Emphasising the need for efficiency, the chief justice stated, "There is no need to go through everything in detail—otherwise, this case will drag on indefinitely." He instructed the state counsel to highlight and present only the most crucial points.
The court also asked why the Interpol investigation report was not submitted to the trial court. In response, the state explained that although Interpol officer Freddie Breadford was included in the witness list, he did not appear to testify, which led to the report being disregarded.
On 1 December 2024, the High Court acquitted all the accused in the cases filed under the Penal Code for murder and under the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the 21 August grenade attack.
The court rejected the death references and allowed the appeals filed by the accused.
In its judgment, the High Court observed that convictions cannot be based solely on confessional statements, nor can such statements alone prove a conspiracy.
The court also deemed the second charge sheet inadmissible, stating that Section 191B did not apply in this context, as it was based solely on the confessional statement of Mufti Hannan.
Following the High Court verdict, the state appealed to the Appellate Division.
Deputy Attorney General Barrister Abdullah Al Mahmud Masud appeared on behalf of the state. Senior lawyers representing the BNP included Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, and Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol.
