The bereaved nation will today pay tribute to the 16th anniversary of the worst grenade attack in the history of Bangladesh. A decade and a half ago, on this day in 2004, a hellish grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorist peace rally of the Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue.
There are allegations that this brutal grenade attack was carried out to deprive the present government of the ruling party Awami League of its leadership.
The current Prime Minister and then Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina and some of the top leaders of the Awami League narrowly escaped the horrific attack that day, but the then General Secretary of the Women’s Awami League Begum Ivy Rahman and 24 others were killed during this worst massacre. Another 400 people were injured in the attack. Many of the injured have been permanently paralyzed. Some of them never got back to normal life.
Present Prime Minister and daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina survived the grenade attack but lost her hearing.
On the occasion of the day, various socio-cultural organizations including Awami League have taken detailed programs in compliance with the health rules. This mournful day is being observed with due dignity all over the country.
