BSS-21 Defence starts placing arguments in Aug 21 grenade attack case

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ZCZC

BSS-21

ARGUMENTS-ATTACK-GRENADE

Defence starts placing arguments in Aug 21 grenade attack case

DHAKA, Jan 02, 2018 (BSS) – The defence in the August 21, 2004, grenade
attack case today started placing its arguments and counsel for fugitive
accused Md Hanif took the podium on the first day.

Advocate Chaitanya Halder, counsel for Hanif Paribahan owner Md Hanif,
started placing arguments of depositions, saying name of his client was added
in the case only after second testimonies of HuJI leader Mufti Abdul Hannan.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal today also placed arguments
referring part of Bangabandhu murder trial.

“The criminals carried out the attack on August 21, 2004, to make a void in
the leadership of Awami League by killing its president Sheikh Hasina. The
attack came in continuation of crimes like killing of former finance minister
Shah AMS Kibria and attempt to murder former British envoy Anwar Chowdhury,”
Kazal said. The prosecutor, however, failed to wrap up his arguments.

Judge Shahed Nur Uddin of Dhaka 1st Speedy Trial Tribunal said the
prosecution would get time to place its arguments once the defence is
finished. The court then adjourned the hearing till tomorrow.

Chief prosecutor Syed Rezaur Rahman yesterday concluded his part of
arguments pleading for awarding maximum punishment to the accused.

“For the sake of justice and meeting the expectation of the justice
seekers, we are pleading for maximum punishment for the accused,” he said.

The chief prosecutor said one of the goals of the attackers was to run the
activities of militant outfits -HuJI, Hijb-ul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiaba,
Tehrik-e Jihad-e Islam and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) – in the
country.

The prosecution on December 27, 2017, concluded its arguments on facts.

The prosecution in their earlier arguments had said a total of five local
and foreign militant outfits were involved in the barbaric attack that killed
24 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Awami League.

“Apart from these groups, Pakistan intelligence agency ISI and then BNP-
Jamaat alliance government orchestrated the attack. The then government used
Ministry of Home Affairs, DGFI, NSI and Bangladesh Police in executing the
conspiracy,” he added.

A total of 24 AL leaders and workers including the then Mohila Awami
League President and wife of late President Zillur Rahman, Ivy Rahman, were
killed and 500 others were injured in the attack.

BSS/DA-MHR/RY/1830 hrs