Today, a special court in this city ordered the withdrawal of warrants against Tarique Rahman and other individuals found not guilty in murder and explosives substances act cases related to the August 21, 2004, grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) demonstration on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.
The order was issued by Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Rafikul Islam, who requested that the arrest and conviction warrants against the acquitted individuals be revoked.
“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.
Additionally, it directed that warrants against them be withdrawn. Public prosecutor Rashid Mollah told BSS, “Today, the tribunal ordered the withdrawal of all warrants against the acquitted individuals in accordance with the HC’s order.”
On December 1, 2024, an HC division bench consisting of Justices AKM Asaduzzaman and Syed Enayet Hossain rendered the decisions, overturning the lower court rulings in the two cases. Following a hearing on the death penalty, criminal, and jail appeals submitted in the two cases, the court rendered its decision.
“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.
In the murder case brought about by the event, a Dhaka court on October 10, 2018, convicted 19 individuals—including former State Minister for Home Lutfuzzaman Babar—to death and given 19 others—including BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman—life sentences.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal in Dhaka also sentenced 11 other people to various jail terms in his ruling.
On August 22, 2004, two distinct cases were filed about the grenade attack: one under the Explosives Substances Act and one for murder.
The charge sheet was filed by the police on June 9, 2008. Charges in the cases were framed by the court on September 29, 2008.
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