The Supreme Court authorities said they are preparing paper book of August 21 grenade attack case for holding hearing on jail appeals and death reference at High Court, reports BSS. Requesting anonymity, a concerned official said they are working to this end. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on the other hand, said they would take initiative to start the hearing once the paper book is ready.
“We would take initiative to hold hearing on jail appeals and death reference once the paper book is ready. I would take the initiative and would file application, if necessary, to hold the hearing,” he told the media. Earlier on January 13, the High Court accepted appeals filed by the convicts in two cases filed over August 21 grenade attack for hearing.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order. “The High Court after accepting the appeals for hearing, stayed the lower court order that fined the convicts and asked it to send the case documents,” assistant attorney general Eusuf Mahmud Morshed told newsmen on that day.
A Dhaka court on October 10, 2018, passed death sentence to 19 people including former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and life imprisonment to another 19 including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman on August 21, 2004 grenade attack charge. Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal pronounced the judgment ordering sentence Tarique to life term along with 18 others and also sentenced 19 people including Lutfozzaman Babar and ex-deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and several former army intelligence officers to death penalty.
The court found all the 49 accused guilty and sentenced them to different jail terms for the attack that killed 24 people and wounded some 500 others, crippling some of them for life. The judge also made 12-point observations on the background, motive and consequences of the attack, mainly targeting incumbent Prime Minister and the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina, who narrowly escaped the assault sustaining wounds.
The death penalty convicts are Lutfuzzaman Babar, Salam Pintu, Mawlana Tajuddin, intelligence officials Major General (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and Brigadier General Abdur Rahim, transport operator Md Hanif, militants Mowlana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Abdul Mazed Bhat, Abdul Malek, Shawkat Osman, Mohibullah, Abu Sayeed, Abul Kalam Azad, Jahangir Alam, Hafez Abu Taher, Hossain Ahammed Tamim, Moin Uddin Sheikh, Rafikul Islam and Md Uzzal. Other than Rahman, the political figures who were handed down life imprisonments are — ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s the then political adviser Haris Chowdhury and former BNP lawmaker Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad.
The others to serve the life term prison are — militants Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel, Abdur Rouf, Sabbir Ahmed, Arif Hasan, Hafez Yahia, Abu Bokor, Ariful Islam, Mohibul Muttakin, Anisul Mursalin, Mohammad Khalil, Jahangir Alam Badar, Mohammad Iqbal, Liton, Shafikur Rahman, Abdul Hai and Ratul Ahmed Babu. They all were fined Taka 50 thousand each in the case lodged under Explosive Substances Act.
The court also sentenced Lutfuzzaman Babar, Abdus Salam Pintu, Mowlana Tajuddin, Major General (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, Brigadier General Abdur Rahim, Md Hanif Mowlana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Abdul Mazed Bhat, Abdul Malek, Mowlana Shawkat Osman, Mohibullah, Mowalana Abu Sayeed, Abul Kalam Azad, Md Jahangir Alam, Hafez Mowlana Abu Taher, Hossain Ahammed Tamim, Moin Uddin Sheikh, Md Rafikul Islam and Md Uzzal to 20-year imprisonment and fined Taka 50,000 each in case lodged under Explosive Substances Act.
In the same case, the court sentenced Tarique Rahman, Haris Chowdhury, Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Kaikobad, Mufti Shafikur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hai, Shahadat Ullah, Mowlana Abdur Rouf, Mowlana Sabbir Ahmed, Arif Hasan, Hafez Mowlana Yahia, Abu Bokor, Ariful Islam Arif, Mohibul Muttakin, Anisul Mursalin, Md Khalil, Jahangir Alam Badar, Md Iqbal, Mowlana Liton, and Ratul Ahmed Babu to 20-year imprisonment and fined Taka 50,000 each. But many of the convicts are yet to be arrested, as the prime accused Tarique Rahman is hiding in London.
The government, however, is trying to bring the fugitives back to country and make them face justice for the crimes they committed. “Not only Tarique Rahman, the government is trying to bring back all the fugitive convicts in the two cases,” Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said.