Court orders withdrawal of warrants against Tarique in 21 Aug grenade attack case

A special court in Dhaka today (17 February) ordered to withdraw warrants against Tarique Rahman and others acquitted in murder and explosives substances act cases filed over the grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) rally in the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue on 21 August 2004.

Judge Rafikul Islam of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 passed the order, directing the withdrawal of arrest and conviction warrants against those acquitted in the case.

"Earlier the lower court concerned had issued arrest warrants against Tarique Rahman and other fugitives and later it issued conviction warrants while delivering judgment. The High Court (HC) has already acquitted all the people convicted by the lower court in murder and explosives substances act cases. The court also ordered authorities to withdraw warrants against them," public prosecutor Rashid Mollah told BSS.

He said in line with the order of the HC, the tribunal today ordered the withdrawal of all warrants against the acquitted people.

A HC division bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain on 1 December 2024, pronounced the verdicts, scrapping lower court judgment in the two cases. The court came up with the verdict after holding a hearing on the death references, criminal and jail appeals filed in the two cases.

"The court scrapped the lower court judgment and acquitted all the convicts including Tarique Rahman and Lutfuzzaman Babar. It rejected all the death references and allowed all the appeals," defence counsel Mohammad Shishir Manir said after the pronouncement of the verdicts.
"The court also observed that the lower court trial was illegal as it was not held in line with the law. No eyewitnesses were examined in the cases, rather all the witnesses, who were examined, heard about the incident," he said.

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 filed over the incident.

In his judgement, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka's Speedy Trial Tribunal also sentenced 11 others to different terms of jail.

Two separate cases, one for murder and another under the Explosives Substances Act were filed on 22 August 2004 over the grenade attack. 

The police on 9 June 2008, filed the charge sheet. The court on 29 September 2008, framed charges in the cases.