August 21 Grenade Attack
Decision on charge framing against Tarique Feb 29
A Dhaka court fixed February 29 to decide whether it will frame charges against BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman and 51 others accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 set the date yesterday for passing orders on the discharge petitions submitted by 33 out of the 52 accused.
Among them, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mojaheed are now in jail while Tarique and 18 other accused are absconding.
On the same day, the court will also decide on appointing a state defence lawyer to defend Tarique in his absence.
Abdur Rezak Khan on August 29 last year, submitted a petition seeking permission to represent Tarique as a state defence lawyer.
Both the prosecution and the defence set 25 different dates to carry out the hearing on charge framing against the accused of the cases.
On October 9, 2011, Syed Rezaur Rahman, chief counsel for the two grenade attack cases, proposed the court to frame charges against all 52 accused, alleging that they had meetings at several places, including the Hawa Bhaban, to plot the grisly blasts in 2004.
Following the prosecution proposal, defence counsels submitted discharge petitions to free their clients from all charges of the cases.
Twenty-four people including Awami League leader Ivy Rahman were killed in the grenade attack on an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 in 2004.
In 2008, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted charge sheets against 22 people including former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and 21 Huji men including Mufti Abdul Hannan.
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