A defence lawyer in the 21 August grenade attack case expressed hope that the accused, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, would be acquitted as the Supreme Court continues its detailed appeal hearings on the long-contested legal proceedings.
Defence lawyer Zainul Abedin told Dhaka Stream on Wednesday night that earlier trials, which culminated in death sentences and life imprisonment for several accused, were "rushed and politically influenced".
Abedin, also a former president of Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar association, said standard procedure was neglected and inappropriate court procedures hampered the credibility of the verdict.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court adjourned till today the hearing on a state plea against the High Court judgment that acquitted all the people convicted by a lower court in murder and Explosives Substances Act cases filed over the attack on an Awami League rally in the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue, recently renamed the Shaheed Abrar Fahad Avenue, on 21 August 2004.
At least 24 people were killed and many others injured in the attack.
Zainul, along with defence counsels SM Shahjahan, Kayser Kamal, Mohammad Shishir Manir, Jaiad Bin Amjad, and Md Maksud Ullah, is representing the accused.
"Such a high-profile case was disposed of within two or three days of the hearing. To give capital punishment, proper judicial analysis is needed. That was also missing. Witnesses were not properly examined and even arrest dates were not verified," Zainul said.
The lawyer added that even confessions were not recorded in accordance with Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which outlines the process for magistrates to record statements and confessions.
They alleged that the previous judgments were delivered under the direct influence of the Awami League government and then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"The judiciary failed to apply its own thinking and instead acted under government directives. We believe that under the current chief justice's leadership, the judiciary is now hearing the case impartially and in detail. We are hopeful that once the matter is thoroughly examined, all our clients will be acquitted, as they had no involvement in this case," Zainul said.
On Tarique's legal standing, the defence lawyer clarified that he was earlier acquitted in the murder case by the High Court. "It cannot be said that one case is still pending against him. The appeal process is ongoing, and we are confident he will be freed from this case as well."
Zainul further argued that critical questions about the 2004 attack remain unanswered, such as how the grenades entered the venue, who supplied them, and why the location of the rally was shifted at the last minute.
Without addressing these issues, the verdicts delivered earlier cannot be considered just, he added.
Two cases were filed by the police with Motijheel Police Station the day after the attack.
On 22 September 2008 the grenade attack case was transferred to a speedy trial tribunal for quick disposal.
In 2011, the court accepted a supplementary charge sheet against 52 accused.
On 10 October, 2018 the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 sentenced 19 individuals to death, including former BNP state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar.
Tarique, son of BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, and 18 others were handed life sentences.
On 1 December last year, a High Court bench acquitted all convicts, including Tarique and Lutfozzaman.
The HC termed the trial court's judgments "illegal", observing that the supplementary charge sheet was not lawfully submitted and confessional statements used in the case were drawn through coercion at the Taskforce Interrogation Cell.
The bench noted that there was no credible document or evidence to establish the charges.
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