The prosecution has sought highest punishment death penalty for 49 accused including BNP’s Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman and former home minister Lutfozzaman Babar in connection with the case of August 21 grenade attack.
Chief Prosecutor Syed Rezaur Rahman appealed for the punishment while placing arguments for the state at the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 in Dhaka established beside old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in old Dhaka on Monday.
But the court adjourned the hearing till tomorrow as the defended appealed for time.
Chief prosecutor Syed Rezaur Rahman placed the arguments for the 24th day in the August 21 grenade attack case.
Earlier on June 12 self defense hearing was held of 31 accused who are in jail and bail at present. During the hearing all the accused claimed them as innocent. 18 accused of the case are fugitive including BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman. For this reason they did not get the chance of self defense.
A grenade attack was carried out in the rally of Awami League on August 21, 2004. In the attack 24 people were killed including Ivy Rahman and also 3 hundred people were injured including Sheikh Hasina.
Dhaka Metropolitan Awami League organized a rally in front of Awami League party office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the afternoon of August 21, 2004. Chief guest of the rally Sheikh Hasina reached at the program spot at 5 pm. After delivering speech for twenty minutes on a makeshift stage place on a truck she declared beginning of demonstration program. The daughter of Bangabandhu then began to step down from the stage. At that time the grenade attack began targeting her.
11 powerful grenades were exploded within one and half minutes. Following the attack 12 people died on the spot and later more 12 people succumbed to injuries in hospitals.
AH
