BNP welcomes Tarique’s acquittal

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi expressed satisfaction, saying that justice has been served as the High Court acquitted Tarique Rahman and other convicted people in two cases filed over the 21 August grenade attack.

"Justice has been served," he said during a press conference today (1 December) at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office.

Rizvi said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and other party leaders accused in the two cases had been deprived of justice under the Awami League government.

Rizvi said that when retired police officer Abdul Kahar Akhand was reappointed and made the investigation officer (IO) of the cases during the Awami League rule, it became clear to them that the government had malicious intentions.

The BNP leader also alleged that the Awami League government had used state power to forcibly convict Tarique Rahman and other BNP leaders in the cases. 

"We have got the proper judgment from the apex court. Some of the justice for which we have been engaged in a long political struggle has been reflected in the verdict," he said.

Earlier in the day, the High Court (HC) had overturned the verdict of a lower court in two cases filed over the 21 August grenade attack, acquitting all convicts, including BNP's Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman and former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar.

An HC bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain delivered the judgment today.

The court also declared the charge sheet in the case illegal.

The grenade attack, a shocking incident, occurred on Dhaka's Bangabandhu Avenue on 21 August 2004.