HC is nearly set for Aug 21 grenade attack case hearing: Attorney general | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Wednesday
June 11, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2025
HC is nearly set for Aug 21 grenade attack case hearing: Attorney general

Court

BSS
20 August, 2023, 10:35 am
Last modified: 20 August, 2023, 10:35 am

Related News

  • Dhaka South to double insecticide spraying to prevent Aedes
  • 10 more Covid-19 cases reported in country
  • Govt to call out army troops, coastguard to prevent erosion in Padma
  • Bulk of social assistance to be distributed through digital cash transfer under FY26 budget
  • 58-day fishing ban in Bay to end at midnight

HC is nearly set for Aug 21 grenade attack case hearing: Attorney general

A Dhaka court on 10 October 2018 sentenced to death 19 people, including former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar, and awarded life imprisonment to another 19, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, in the murder case

BSS
20 August, 2023, 10:35 am
Last modified: 20 August, 2023, 10:35 am
File photo of High Court
File photo of High Court

The High Court is nearly set for a mandatory death reference hearing on a trial court verdict that handed down the death penalty to 19 people for masterminding and executing the 21 August 2004 grenade attack, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said.

Talking to BSS, the country's top law officer said the concerned death reference bench of the High Court by now went through some 3,000 pages of the lower court's paper book containing the case details.

"We expect after only a day's of hearing the reading of rest of the pages will be completed to prepare the case for death reference hearing," the attorney general said.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

"I think it may take 10 to 12 hearing dates for the bench to dispose of the case," Amin Uddin said, adding that he believed the High Court review could be concluded within October this year.

A Dhaka court on 10 October 2018 sentenced to death 19 people, including former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar, and awarded life imprisonment to another 19, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, in the murder case.

Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka's Speedy Trial Tribunal at that time also sentenced 11 others to different prison terms while his judgment contained a 12-point observation on the background, motive and consequences of the attack.

According to the trial court verdict, incumbent Prime Minister and the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was the main attack target though she narrowly escaped death, sustaining hearing impairment.

The attack on the Awami League rally in front of the party central office at Bangabandhu Avenue killed 24 people, including the party's women's wing chief and subsequent Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman's wife, Ivy Rahman and wounded some 500 others.

The verdict was referred to the High Court for mandatory legal review, called a death reference hearing, since the case involved death sentences while the convicts as well filed appeals against the judgment.

The attorney general said the ailment of the senior judge of the two-member High Court bench partly delayed the case's hearing but expected that once the bench resumed its hearing, "it will not take much time".

"We (attorney general's office) have gone through the whole judgment, which appeared an appropriate one. We would plea for upholding the lower court judgment after scrutinising the law points thoroughly," he said.   

According to the attorney general's office, the process for hearing the death reference and convicts appeal began on 5 December 2022 at the bench comprising Justice Shahidul Karim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman as designated by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.

Amin Uddin said the issue actually involves two cases; one is on murders and another under Explosives Substances Act, while both are very important as "the plotters had tried to destroy our democratic system through that unprecedented attack."

The other major death penalty convicts are the then junior minister Abdus Salam Pintu, his brother militant HuJI-B leader Mawlana Tajuddin, intelligence officials former major general Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, former brigadier general Abdur Rahim.

The rest of the convicts who received the capital punishment were militants Mowlana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Abdul Mazed Bhat, Abdul Malek, Shawkat Osman, Mohibullah, Abu Sayeed, Abul Kalam Azad, Jahangir Alam, Hafez Abu Taher, Hossain Ahammed Tamim, Moin Uddin Sheikh, Rafikul Islam and Mohammad Uzzal and transport operator Mohamamd Hanif.

Other than Rahman, the political figures who were handed down life imprisonments are - ex-premier Khaleda Zia's then-political adviser Haris Chowdhury and former BNP lawmaker Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad.

Militants Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel, Abdur Rouf, Sabbir Ahmed, Arif Hasan, Hafez Yahia, Abu Bokor, Ariful Islam, Mohibul Muttakin, Anisul Mursalin, Mohammad Khalil, Jahangir Alam Badar, Mohammad Iqbal, Liton, Shafikur Rahman, Abdul Hai and Ratul Ahmed Babu were sentenced to different jail terms.

Assailants carried out the attack with military hardware "Arges" grenades on the rally, which Awami League convened to mobilise a public campaign against terrorism.

Two separate cases, one for murder and another under Explosives Substances Act, were filed on 22 August 2004. The police on 9 June 2008 filed the charge sheet, and the court indicted the accused on 29 September 2008.

Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), on 2 July 2011, submitted a supplementary charge sheet before the court, which framed charges afresh after taking into cognizance the new charge sheet on 18 March 2012.

The lower court, on 27 November 2018, sent 37,385-page case documents, including the judgement, to the High Court for subsequent legal procedures and the High Court on 13 January 2019.

The higher court also accepted the convicts' appeals for analogous hearing.

Bangladesh / Top News

21 August grenade attack / High Court (HC) / Bangladesh

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus speaks at the Chatham House in London on 11 June 2025. Photo: CA Press Wing
    No desire to be part of next elected govt: CA Yunus
  • File photo of BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. Photo: Collected
    Khasru flies to London to join Yunus-Tarique meeting
  • News of The Day, 11 JUNE 2025
    News of The Day, 11 JUNE 2025

MOST VIEWED

  • Illustration: Duniya Jahan/ TBS
    Forget Katy Perry, here’s Bangladesh’s Ruthba Yasmin shooting for the moon
  • A file photo of Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur. Photo: Collected
    'I have no relation with this': Ahsan Mansur debunks Joy’s allegations over daughter’s Dubai flat
  • Faiz Ahmad Tayeb. Photo: BSS
    Import duty on raw materials for e-bikes, lithium batteries reduced from 80% to 1% in some cases: Faiz Taiyeb
  • File photo of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Photo: Collected
    Joy spends Eid with Hasina in India: Indian media
  • Mercantile Bank withholds dividend amid Tk1,700cr provision shortfall
    Mercantile Bank withholds dividend amid Tk1,700cr provision shortfall
  • Shakil Ahmed. Photo: Collected
    DU student allegedly hangs himself following threats over old derogatory comment about Prophet on Facebook

Related News

  • Dhaka South to double insecticide spraying to prevent Aedes
  • 10 more Covid-19 cases reported in country
  • Govt to call out army troops, coastguard to prevent erosion in Padma
  • Bulk of social assistance to be distributed through digital cash transfer under FY26 budget
  • 58-day fishing ban in Bay to end at midnight

Features

Among pet birds in the country, lovebirds are the most common, and they are also the most numerous in the haat. Photo: Junayet Rashel

Where feathers meet fortune: How a small pigeon stall became Dhaka’s premiere bird market

2h | Panorama
Illustration: Duniya Jahan/ TBS

Forget Katy Perry, here’s Bangladesh’s Ruthba Yasmin shooting for the moon

1d | Features
File photo of Eid holidaymakers returning to the capital from their country homes/Rajib Dhar

Dhaka: The city we never want to return to, but always do

2d | Features
Photo collage shows political posters in Bagerhat. Photos: Jannatul Naym Pieal

From Sheikh Dynasty to sibling rivalry: Bagerhat signals a turning tide in local politics

4d | Bangladesh

More Videos from TBS

News of The Day, 11 JUNE 2025

News of The Day, 11 JUNE 2025

1h | TBS News of the day
WB predicts worst decade for global growth since 60s

WB predicts worst decade for global growth since 60s

2h | TBS Stories
Foreign firm to draft merger plan for investment promotion agencies

Foreign firm to draft merger plan for investment promotion agencies

3h | TBS Insight
US-China London meeting ends as planned

US-China London meeting ends as planned

4h | TBS World
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net