Several hundred leaders and activists of Awami League and its associate bodies bring out a procession in Dhaka demanding capital punishment to BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in connection with August 21 grenade attack case.

BNP alleges that 'state-sponsored' verdicts were given in the August 21 grenade attack cases, aiming to destroy BNP in a planned way.

Death Penalty in each of two Cases

It was a well-orchestrated plan, executed through abuse of state power, a special court has ruled, delivering verdicts in the two cases filed over the grenade attack on an Awami League rally 14 years ago.

The BNP yesterday rejected the verdicts in the August 21 grenade attack cases alleging that those were delivered at the “behest of the government with a political motive”.

Joj Mia, the man who falsely-implicated in the August 21 grenade attack incident, says he is not fully satisfied over the verdict as the mastermind of the attack BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman was not awarded death penalty.

Whichever party may be in the state power in a democratic country must strive to consolidate democracy by adopting a liberal policy towards the political opposition, observes a special tribunal.

August 21, 2004 was a ghastly chapter in the political history of Bangladesh.

Political opposition BNP rejects the August 21 grenade attack verdict delivered today, and called for weeklong demonstration starting from tomorrow.

The defence counsel will be appealing against the August 21, 2004 verdict that has sentenced 19 people to death and others in imprisonment in two cases.

The government will seek higher punishment for BNP’s acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in the August 21 grenade attack cases, Law Minister Anisul Huq says.

The prosecution team of August 21, 2004 grenade blast cases will now be waiting for the full text of the verdict before considering its next moves.

A victim in the grenade attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004, says he is unhappy with the verdict delivered by a special tribunal in two cases filed over the carnage.

The verdicts in August 21 grenade attack cases, to be delivered 14 years after the blasts on Bangabandhu Avenue, are likely to further heat up the political landscape ahead of the national election as several BNP leaders, including the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, are accused in the cases.

Security measures have been beefed up in and around the court area in old Dhaka ahead of the verdict in the two cases filed over August 21 grenade attack.

Hours ahead of delivery of the verdicts in cases filed for the grisly grenade attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004, Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia says law enforcers will not tolerate any kind of anarchy centring the verdict.

A total of 31 accused of August 21 grenade attack cases including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu are being shifted to a Dhaka court from Kashimpur High Security Prison in Gazipur as the court is set to deliver its verdict in the cases.

Eighteen of the 49 accused in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack cases are still at large and police have been able to know whereabouts of eight of them.

The defence counsels for all 49 accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases finally completed their closing arguments yesterday.

BNP yesterday said the party wants exemplary punishment of the real culprits of the August 21 grenade attack, and alleged that the government is making efforts to fulfill its desire, using the case as a political tool.