Aug 21 Grenade Attack Case
CID official reiterates Tarique's link
Defence lawyers in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack cases yesterday completed cross-examining a CID official who had said that BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman had assured the attackers of a safe passage after they carried out the attack.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Inspector Abu Hena Md Yusuf reiterated that detained Harkat-ul Jihad al Islami chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, while on remand in Ramna Batamul blast cases, had told him about Tarique's assurance.
The CID inspector, a prosecution witness, said this while being cross-examined by Advocate Abul Kalam Md Akhter Hossain, a state appointed counsel for Tarique, in connection with the grenade attack cases.
Defence lawyers of 10 other accused, including BNP lawmaker Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad and Mohammad Hanif, owner of Hanif Paribahan Ltd, also crossed-examined the witness.
Later, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 fixed June 17 for the next hearing of the grenade attack cases.
Twenty-four Awami League leaders and workers, including Ivy Rahman, were killed and 300 others were injured in the grenade attack on an AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.
The attack was aimed at assassinating AL President Sheikh Hasina, the then leader of the opposition. Hasina narrowly escaped death.
Two cases, one under the explosive substances act and the other for murder, were filed following the incident.
Earlier, counsels of 29 other accused, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, had completed cross-examining the witness.
Of the 52 accused in the cases, Babar, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and 24 others, who are now in custody, were produced before the court yesterday.
Six other accused, including former inspector general of police Ashraful Huda, were also present at the court.
Another accused, former Dhaka City Corporation ward councillor Ariful Islam Arif, now out on bail, could not appear before it due to his illness.
Tarique and 18 others have been shown absconding in the cases.
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