BNP to investigate August 21 attacks if given a chance

On October 10, 2018, the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka sentenced 19 people, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and Harris Chowdhury, to life imprisonment in a grenade attack on an AL rally on August 21, 2004. Former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and 19 others were sentenced to death. The BNP, as always, has denied the allegations of patronage of the then coalition government behind the horrific grenade attack of August 21. Even after a decade and a half of the incident, the party remains firm on this position.

Although the ‘Judge Mia Drama’ discussed in the incident, the party has raised questions about its trial. The party’s policymakers alleged that the case was not properly investigated and justice was not done to harm the BNP due to political vendetta. In this situation, they said, the grenade attack will be investigated again if bnp’s good days return.

On August 21, 2004, a grenade attack was carried out on an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital. Sheikh Hasina, the then leader of the opposition, narrowly escaped the attack. However, 24 Awami League leaders and activists, including women leader Ivy Rahman, lost their lives and at least 500 were injured. Many of them have been crippled forever. Bnp acting chairman Tarique Rahman and the then state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar were among the 49 accused in the grenade attack case. Later, the lower court sentenced 19 people, including Lutfozzaman Babar, to death and 19 others, including Tarique Rahman and Haris Chowdhury, to life imprisonment.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has questioned the trial of the August 21 incident. Regarding the trial of the attack, he said, “These things have been done out of complete political vengeance. Such a trial has been conducted to demean the BNP, to keep Tarique Rahman away from politics. There was no justice. What was done was completely unjust. If we ever get a chance, we will make arrangements for a fair investigation.

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, “I think those who were involved in the grenade attack have been included in the case at all. The perpetrators have not been properly identified. ’

However, BNP is uncomfortable with the ‘Judge Mia Drama’ discussed around the grenade attack and its trial. The incident of cid’s confession about the grenade attack by accusing Judge Mia of Noakhali by giving money to the family is known as ‘Judge Mia Drama’. It was leaked in the media that the incident was a drama orchestrated by the police. The responsible leaders of the party do not want to open their mouths on this issue even though they talk about justice and investigation. When asked about the matter, Mirza Fakhrul said, “I cannot say exactly about this. Only those who were in charge at that time could tell.