AL's Zafarullah links Tarique to Aug 21 grenade attack

An Awami League presidium member yesterday told a Dhaka court that BNP leader Tarique Rahman and several others were involved in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack.

As a prosecution witness, Kazi Zafarullah, also a victim of the attack, said this while giving his statement before the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka for over an hour.     

Judge Shahed Nuruddin recorded the statement and fixed today for the next hearing of the two cases filed over the gruesome attack.

Zafarullah said the attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2014 was aimed at the assassination of party chief and the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina, who narrowly escaped death, but it killed 24 leaders and workers of her party, including top leader Ivy Rahman, and injured 300 others.

He said, "I also came to know from different newspapers and Awami League leaders that the conspiracy and the plan of the grenade attack on the rally was worked out at Hawa Bhaban in presence of BNP leader Tarique Rahman."

Hawa Bhaban was the office of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, the then prime minister.

Zafar was later cross-examined by the lawyers of all the 51 accused. Nineteen accused, including Tarique, are absconding while BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar and 23 others are now in jail and another eight are on bail.  

Earlier 200 prosecution witnesses, out of 491, including the complainant, have given their statements before the makeshift court near the Dhaka Central Jail.