Aug 21 Grenade Attack

CID gets more time to submit probe report

3 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Court Correspondent

A Dhaka court yesterday granted more time to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit its probe report on one of the two cases involving the August 21 grenade attacks on Awami League rally in 2004. Judge (in-charge) Mohammad Ismail Hossain of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka issued the order extending time till August 3 upon a petition filed by CID. Thus, the CID was given 12 months in four phases to complete the investigation into the case. Special Police Super of CID Abdul Kahar Akand, also the investigation officer of the case under the Explosive Substances Act, filed the petition with the court seeking four more months to complete the investigation. Kahar said former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) leader Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Lasker-e-Taiba member Abdul Majid Butt and Dhaka City Corporation Ward Councillor Ariful Islam Arif were also shown arrested in the case. Earlier, they gave important information about collecting and supplying the grenades for attack on the Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 in 2004, which left 23 people including Ivy Rahman dead and scores injured. Moreover, of the arrestees, Majid Butt and Salam made confessions before magistrates about their involvement in the attack, he said. So, he sought more time to arrest the culprits involved with supplying grenades, the IO said. The other case filed for killing the victims is now pending with the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka. On August 3 last year, a Dhaka court ordered the inspector general of police to reinvestigate the cases and submit reports in two months after identifying the persons who had procured and supplied the grenades used in the carnage of August 21 in 2004.