Bangladesh’s ruling party, the Awami League, has strongly condemned the recent court decision to acquit 49 individuals accused of carrying out a deadly grenade attack in 2004. The party called this ruling a dangerous step that sets a terrible precedent of impunity.
On Thursday, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court’s Appellate Division upheld a previous High Court verdict, clearing all 49 accused, including BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and former State Minister Lutfozzaman Babar. The attack happened on August 21, 2004, during a rally in Dhaka. It targeted Sheikh Hasina’s opposition gathering, leading to the deaths of 24 people and injuring hundreds.
The grenade attack was carried out when Bangladesh was led by the coalition government of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. The attack was seen as an attempt to weaken Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. Authorities say it was a planned and brutal act of violence aimed at intimidating political opponents.
The Awami League sharply criticized the interim government of Muhammad Yunus, accusing it of serving foreign interests rather than the people of Bangladesh. The party said that by ruling that the accused were not guilty, the government is allowing killers and extremists to go free, thus undermining justice. They also warned this verdict shows how the current political system is protecting those responsible for violence in the country’s history.
In their statement, the Awami League described the grenade attack as one of the most brutal political massacres in Bangladesh’s history. The attack killed 24 leaders and activists of the party, including women leader Ivy Rahman, and injured hundreds. Sheikh Hasina, then the opposition leader, narrowly escaped death during the violence.
The party emphasized that no unjust verdict lasts forever. They said that justice will be served by the people, and those responsible—whether the killers, masterminds, or protectors—will face trial someday. The party demanded that Tarique Rahman—son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia—and others involved in the attack be brought to justice.
The Awami League also linked the attack to a broader conspiracy involving other controversial figures, including war criminals and Islamist militants. They claim the violence was part of a larger plan led by Tarique Rahman, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, and others opposed to Bangladesh’s independence and progress.
This decision and the events of 2004 remain deeply sensitive in Bangladesh. The party’s stance signals their continued demand for justice for the victims of the grenade attack and opposition to any efforts to shield those involved in political violence.
