Supreme Court . File photo

DHAKA, Sept 04, 2025 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) today upheld a High Court verdict that acquitted all those convicted by a lower court in the two cases filed over the August 21, 2004, grenade attack.

Dismissing the state's appeal against the High Court verdict, a six-member Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed unanimously delivered the judgment, along with observations.
 
"Criminal Appeal No. 65 of 2025 is dismissed with observations, expunction and modification, and all these Criminal Petitions are disposed of in the light of the judgment delivered in Criminal Appeal No. 65 of 2025," the short verdict said.
 
Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, Additional Attorney Generals Abdul Jabbar Bhuyan and Barrister Aneek Rushd Haque, and Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Masud argued for the state, while senior advocate SM Shahjahan and advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir appeared for the defence.
 
The apex court on August 21, 2025, set today for pronouncing judgment in the murder and explosives substances cases filed over the grenade attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital on August 21, 2004.
 
"Hearing is concluded and judgment on September 4, 2025," the short order said on that day.
 
Earlier, on June 1, 2025, the Appellate Division granted leave to appeal against the High Court verdict that acquitted all the convicts in the two cases.
 
The High Court on December 1, 2024, scrapped the lower court judgment in the two cases, delivering its verdict after hearing the death references, criminal and jail appeals.
 
"Death Reference is rejected, all appeals are allowed, all rules are made absolute," said the short judgment pronounced by the High Court bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain. 
 
Defence counsel Advocate Shishir Manir later told newsmen that the High Court observed the lower court trial was illegal as it was not held in accordance with the law. He said no eyewitnesses were examined in the cases, and the verdict was based on the forced confessional statement of Mufti Abdul Hannan, according to him, which carried no evidential value. 
 
At least 24 people were killed and many others were injured in the grenade attack on August 21, 2004. 
 
On October 10, 2018, a Dhaka court sentenced 19 people to death, including former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar, and awarded life imprisonment to another 19, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, in the murder case filed over the incident. Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal also sentenced 11 others to different terms of jail.
 
The death penalty convicts later acquitted were: Lutfuzzaman Babar, Abdus Salam Pintu, Mawlana Tajuddin, Major General (Retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, Brigadier General Abdur Rahim, Md Hanif, Mawlana 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.
 
Besides Tarique Rahman, the political figures acquitted of life sentences included former premier Khaleda Zia's political adviser Haris Chowdhury and ex-BNP lawmaker Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad.
 
Others acquitted from life sentences were: 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.
 
Two separate cases-one for murder and another under the Explosives Substances Act-were filed on August 22, 2004, over the attack. The police filed the charge sheet on June 9, 2008, and the court framed the charges on September 29, 2008.