Verdicts in Aug 21 grenade attack cases on Oct 10

A Dhaka court has fixed October 10 to deliver its verdicts in two cases filed over August 21 grenade attack.

Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal 1 fixed the date on Tuesday.

Earlier, a total of 225 prosecution witnesses testified before the court on different dates in the cases.

The total number of the accused in the cases is 52. Of them, three, including Mufti Hannan, have been executed in other cases and their names have been dropped. Of the 49 accused, 18, including BNP leader Tarique Rahman, are yet to be arrested and being tried in absentia.

Twenty-three of the accused, including former state minister Lutfuzzaman Babar and deputy minister Abdus Salam, are now in jail while eight others are on bail.

On August 21, 2004, the grisly grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally arranged by Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city during the rule of BNP- Jamaat alliance government.

At least 24 leaders and activists, including the then Mohila Awami League President and wife of late President Zillur Rahman, Ivy Rahman, were killed and 300 others injured in the grenade attack.

However, Sheikh Hasina escaped the attack unhurt but her hearing was affected badly.

At least 13 grenades were thrown from the rooftops of a nearby building soon after Sheikh Hasina had finished her speech at the rally.