Aug 21 attack aimed at destroying AL leadership

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu yesterday told a Dhaka court that the 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally was aimed at assassinating the party chief and the then opposition leader, Sheikh Hasina, and other top leaders.

As a prosecution witness and victim of the attack, the AL leader said this while giving his testimony to the court for over an hour. The court recorded the statement and fixed today for the next hearing of the two cases filed over the attack on August 21, 2004. One case was filed for killing, and the other under the explosive substances act. 

Amu said under the direct and indirect patronisation of the then four-party alliance government, Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji) leader Mufti Hannan and his accomplices carried out the gruesome attack to eliminate the AL leadership.

Hasina narrowly escaped death, but 24 leaders and activists of her party were killed and 300 others injured.  

Amu was later cross-examined by the lawyers of all of the 19 fugitive accused including BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman. BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar and 23 others are now in jail and another eight are on bail. Earlier, 204 prosecution witnesses, out of 491, testified in court.