Tarique Rahman. -File Photo

DHAKA, Feb 17, 2025 (BSS) - A special court here today ordered to withdraw 
warrants against Tarique Rahman and others acquitted in murder and explosives 
substances act cases filed over the grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) 
rally in the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.

Judge Rafikul Islam of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 passed the order, asking 
to withdraw arrest and conviction warrants against the acquitted people.

"Earlier the lower court concerned had issued arrest warrants against Tarique 
Rahman and other fugitives and later it issued conviction warrants while 
delivering judgment. The High Court (HC) has already acquitted all the people 
convicted by the lower court in murder and explosives substances act cases. 

It also ordered to withdraw warrants against them. In line with the order of 
the HC, the tribunal today ordered to withdraw all warrants against the 
acquitted people," public prosecutor Rashid Mollah told BSS.

A HC division bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet 
Hossain on December 1, 2024, pronounced the verdicts, scrapping lower court 
judgment in the two cases. The court came up with the verdict after holding a 
hearing on the death references, criminal and jail appeals filed in the two 
cases.

"The court scrapped the lower court judgment and acquitted all the convicts 
including Tarique Rahman and Lutfuzzaman Babar. It rejected all the death 
references and allowed all the appeals," defence counsel Mohammad Shishir 
Manir said after the pronouncement of the verdicts.

"The court also observed that the lower court trial was illegal as it was not 
held in line with the law. No eyewitnesses were examined in the cases, rather 
all the witnesses, who were examined, heard about the incident," he said.

A Dhaka court on October 10, 2018, sentenced to death 19 people, 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.

In his judgement, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka's Speedy Trial Tribunal also 
sentenced 11 others to different terms of jail.

Two separate cases, one for murder and another under the Explosives 
Substances Act were filed on August 22, 2004 over the grenade attack. 

The police on June 9, 2008, filed the charge sheet. The court on September 
29, 2008, framed charges in the cases.