DHAKA: The 15th anniversary of the gruesome grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) anti- terrorism rally in the capital on August 21 in 2004 is being marked across the country on Wednesday with heavy hearts.
The attack, targeting to kill the then opposition leader and now Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other party leaders, was carried out during the role of BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
The nation’s long wait seeking justice of the brutal grenade attack that killed 24 people, including the then Mahila AL president Ivy Rahman, wife of late President Zillur Rahman, and wounded nearly 500 finally ended as a special court pronounced the verdict of a case filed over the attack on October 10, 2018.
Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack but lost her hearing ability due to the impact of the repeated grenade blasts near the truck-dais of her public rally.
Prominent among those suffered serious splinter injuries included SheikhHasina, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, Obaidul Quader, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Mohammad Hanif, Prof Abu Sayeed, and AFM Bahauddin Nasim.
Many of the injured suffered permanent physical deformities as they were maimed. Hasina suffered hearing loss and was under treatment at home and abroad for many years.
Later on Jun 11, 2008, the Criminal Investigation Department or CID pressed charges in court during the military-backed caretaker government.
Some 30 others, including Tarique, were added to the list of accused following wider investigations after the Awami League came to power in 2009. A total 52 suspects, including police officers, were implicated in the case.
The number had whittled down to 49 after three other accused, former minister and Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and militant leaders Mufti Abdul Hannan and Sharif Shahedul Alam alias Bipul were hanged after convictions in other cases.
Later on Oct 10, 2018, a Dhaka court sentenced 19 to life imprisonment and 11 to different jail terms.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the victims of August 21 grenade attack in 2004 and prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs.
In his message issued on Tuesday, President Abdul Hamid termed the heinous grenade attack as another “black chapter” in the history of Bengali nation.
“The August 21 in 2004 grenade attack was aimed at making bankrupt the AL and Bangladesh in leadership and stopping democratic process and establishing autocracy and militancy,” he said, adding that the people of the country did not let it happen.
In a separate message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the barbaric grenade attack was carried out on that day in 2004 under the direct patronization of BNP-Jamaat alliance on an anti-terrorism rally of Awami League to kill me.
“I survived the attack due to immense blessings of the Almighty but some 23 leaders and workers including president of Mahila Awami League Ivy Rahman embraced martyrdom, the Premier said, adding that more than 500 leaders and activists, journalists and security personnel were injured.
With a renewed call and firm promise in fighting terrorism and militancy, the day was marked through various programs including rally, discussions and special prayers.
Marking the anniversary, the ruling AL, its front and associate bodies and its left-leaning allies, and other political parties, social-cultural and professional organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes across the country.
AL and its associate bodies are set to place wreaths at a makeshift altar in front of the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue at 9am.
A discussion is scheduled to be held at Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh (KIB) at Khamarbari in city’s Farmgate area at 4pm.
BDST: 1050 HRS, AUG 21, 2019
RS
