Aug 21 grenade attack: Babar, 18 others to die; Tarique, 18 others get life
M Humayun Kabir of DOT
Former State Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, former Deputy Minister Abdus Salam Pintu and 17 others were awarded death penalty for the August 21 grenade attack on Awami League rally in 2004 that that killed 24 people and injured hundreds.
BNP leader Tarique Rahman, also son of the then prime minister Khaleda Zia, was jailed for life along with 18 others.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 delivered the verdict in the two cases — one for murder and another for grenade blast – around 11:30am yesterday, amid foolproof security, reports The Daily Star.
DEATH ROW CONVICTS
Lutfozzaman Babar, former state minister for home; Abdus Salam Pintu, former deputy minister for education; Brig Gen (retd) Rezzaqul Haider Chowdhury, former NSI chief; Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim, former DGFI director; Mohammad Hanif, owner of Hanif Paribahan; Pakistan-based LeT leader Yusuf Butt alias Majid Butt; Kashmir-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Abdul Malek alias Golam Mohammad; Huji founder Abdus Salam; and Huji leaders Maulana Tajuddin, Maulana Shawkat Osman, Maulana Abu Sayeed alias Dr Abu Zafar, Abul Kalam Azad alias Bulbul, Jahangir Alam, Maulana Abu Taher, Hossain Ahmed Tamim, Mufti Moinuddin Sheikh alias Abu Zandal alias Masum Billah, Rafiqul Islam Sabuj, Mohammad Ujjal alias Ratan and Mohibullah alias Mofizur Rahman alias Ovi were awarded death penalty.
LIFE TERM IMPRISONMENT
Tarique Rahman, BNP acting chairman; Harris Chowdhury, former political secretary to Khaleda; Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, a BNP lawmaker; BNP leader Ariful Islam Arif, former councillor of DCC ward-53; Huji leaders Shahadatullah Jewel, Maulana Abdur Rouf, Maulana Sabbir Ahmed alias Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Arif Hasan Sumon, Hafez Maulana Yahya, Maulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Howlader, Mahibul Muttakin, Anisul Mursalin, Md Khalil, Jahangir Alam Badar, Md Iqbal, Liton alias Maulana Liton, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hai and Ratul Babu were given life term imprisonment.
Meanwhile, former Inspector General of Police — Ashraful Huda and Shahudul Haque — were given a total of four years’ imprisonment and fined Tk 50,000. If they fail to pay, they will have to serve another six months.
Four years’ imprisonment was awarded to Lt Commander (retd) Saiful Islam Duke, also nephew of Khaleda; Saiful Islam Joarder, former DGFI official (sacked); and Maj Gen (retd) ATM Amin.
Former DC (South) of DMP Khan Sayeed Hassan and former deputy commissioner (East) of DMP Obaidur Rahman Khan were also jailed for four years each.
Former IGP Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, former SP Ruhul Amin and former ASPs of CID Atiqur Rahman and Abdur Rashid were given a total of five years in prison in the cases.
Before pronouncing the verdict, 31 accused, including Babar and Pintu, were taken to the court in old Dhaka from the Kashimpur High Security Prison in Gazipur in a prison van.
In the grisly attack, a total of 24 Awami League leaders and activists, including Mohila Awami League president Ivy Rahman, were killed and more than 300 others were injured.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was the opposition leader in parliament at that time, narrowly escaped the attack with serious ear injury.
BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, two former ministers including Babar and former top police and intelligence officials of the then BNP-led four-party alliance government were among 49 accused in the cases.
During the tenure of the then BNP-Jamaat-led government, the grenade attack was carried out to assassinate Hasina.