Demanding exemplary punishment to the killers, the 10th anniversary of August 21-grenade attack was observed across the country on Thursday, paying tributes to the victims. At least 24 persons including Ivy Rahman, the then president of Mahila Awami League and also wife of former President Zillur Rahman, were killed and over one hundred received splinter injuries in the deadly grenade attack on the Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.
The assailants hurled about a dozen of Arges grenades from different angles targeting the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina when she was about to complete her speech at the anti-terrorism rally in front of the AL central office. At the same time, the assailants also sprayed bullets on her car. Hasina luckily escaped death. But the huge blast impaired her hearing power.
Just as the clock strikes 5:22pm yesterday, the PM Sheikh Hasina placed a wreath and observe two minutes` silence at the memorial on Bangabandhu Avenue in remembrance of the grenade attack victims. After placing wreaths, the Premier took part in a special prayer seeking peace of the departed souls of the martyrs. Hasina also met injured victims and families of those who died in that heinous attack victims.
Accusing BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman for the August 21 attack, the PM said, “The soil of this country is not for the killers. There will be no room for the killers. BNP with the help of Jamaat carried out the heinous attack. We must save the country from the grip of these killers.”
“The August 21 grenade attack was aimed to frustrate the country’s independence, democracy, peace and development. The aim of the August 21 was also to give killing, conspiracy, militancy, corruption and misrule a permanent shape, destroy the spirit of the War of Liberation and make Bangladesh leaderless,” she said.
Other AL leaders, including general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed were present and placed floral wreaths at the altar of the Memorial. Other Cabinet members were also present for offering their homage to victims of the carnage.
Besides, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal [JSD-Inu], Workers Party of Bangladesh, Samyabadi Dal, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Communist Kendra, National Awami Party [NAP-Muzaffar], Dhaka City AL, Awami Juba League, Juba Mahila League, Awami Swechchhasebak League, Mahila Awami League, Krishak League, Jatiya Sramik League, Chhatra League, Bangabandhu Parishad, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Bangabandhu Prokoushali Parishad, Rickshaw-van Sramik League and other organisations also placed wreaths at the Memorial.
Thousands of people from different walks of life took part in the remembrance.
Meanwhile, two cases –one for the murder and other under explosive substances act were filed in connection with the August 21 grenade attack. At first, CID’s assistant police superintendent Fazlul Kabir pressed charges against 22 people in June, 2008.
After the AL came to power in 2009, the newly appointed IO and also special superintendent of CID Abdul Kahhar Akhand submitted the supplementary charge sheet on July 3, 2010 accusing 30 new accused including retired military and police officers.
BNP’s senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, former state minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar, the then prime minister’s political secretary Harris Chowdhury, secretary general of Jamaat-e Islami and the then social welfare minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and BNP lawmaker Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad were also included in the second list of the accused.
In the charge sheet, the first three investigation officers of the case — CID special superintendent Ruhul Amin, and two ex-CID ASPs Munshi Atiqur Rahman and Fazlul Kabir were also accused for twisting the case and diverting the investigation showing a fake assassin named Joj Mia. The trial started in 2011. About 19 witnesses so far have given their testimonies.
