DHAKA, May 28, 2025 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today adjourned till June 1 the hearing on a leave-to-appeal petition challenging a High Court verdict that acquitted all convicts previously sentenced by a lower court in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack cases.

The Appellate Division full bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order after hearing the plea in part today. 

Additional Attorney Generals Mohammad Abdul Jabber Bhuiyan, Mohammad Arshadur Rouf and Aneek Rushd Haque represented the state, while Senior Advocate SM Shahjahan and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir appeared for the defence.
 
Earlier, the High Court on December 1, 2024, overturned the lower court's verdicts in both the murder and explosives cases related to the attack. The court came up with the verdict after holding a hearing on the death references, criminal and jail appeals filed in the two cases.

"Death Reference is rejected, all appeals are allowed, all rules are made absolute", said the identical short judgments pronounced by the High Court bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain.
 
"The court observed that the lower court trial was illegal as it was not held in accordance with the law. No eyewitnesses were examined in the cases rather, all the witnesses, who were examined, heard about the incident," defence counsel Advocate Shishir Manir told newsmen on that day.

Advocate Manir further said the court also observed that the lower court concerned delivered the judgment based on a confessional statement of Mufti Abdul Hannan but his confessional statement has no evidential value as it was taken by force.

At least 24 people were killed and many others injured in the grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Bangabandhu Avenue here on August 21, 2004.