DHAKA, Sept 11, 2018 (BSS) – The prosecution in its legal arguments in the August 21 grenade attack case today said BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman was the mastermind behind the attack.
“Tarique Rahman was the mastermind behind the attack, whose main target was to kill then leader of the opposition and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina. Then BNP lawmaker Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad arranged meetings between attackers and plotters at Tarique Rahman’s political office Hawa Bhaban,” prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal said in the arguments.
Kazal today concluded his part of legal arguments and then special public prosecutor Md Abdullah Abu started his and will continue tomorrow.
Court of Judge Shahed Nur Uddin of Dhaka 1st Speedy Trial Tribunal heard the arguments of two cases, one for murder and another under explosives substance act, filed over the incident for 116 days and adjourned the hearing till tomorrow.
“The attack that took place in August 21, 2004, was an assault against the whole state and Bengali nationalism. The motive of the attack was very dangerous. They wanted to destroy the bloodline of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and eliminate the leadership of Awami League,” Kazal added.
Pleading for maximum punishment for all the accused, the prosecutor said, the whole nation is waiting for justice to be done over the barbaric attack.
The prosecution on December 27, 2017 concluded its arguments on facts.
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 barbaric attack on August 21, 2004.
Awami League president and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina survived the attack as leaders of her party formed human shield around her during the attack.
The total number of the accused in the cases is 52. Of them, three including Mufti Abdul Hannan have been executed in other cases and their names have been dropped. Of the 49 accused, 18 are yet to be arrested and being tried in absentia.
Of the accused, 23 including former state minister Lutfuzzaman Babar and deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu are in jail. A total of 225 prosecution witnesses have been examined in the cases.