Awami League condemned and protested against the verdict of the High Court given on Sunday acquitting all accused of August 21 grenade attack case that claimed 24 lives and left several hundreds injured including AL president Sheikh Hasina.
In a statement issued on Sunday on behalf of Awami League, its Joint General Secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif said, "We have found the effectiveness of Dr Yunus's reset button through the verdict of the High Court. He has tried to make us forget everything. In continuation of that, this malicious attempt to completely erase events like the infernal massacre of August 21 in 2004."
"The verdict is shameful for the nation even after having clear and specific evidences. Harkat Ul Jihad leaders Mufti Abdul Hannan was arrested in November 2008. Appearing before the court, he had given deposition. In his deposition, he stated that he attacked the rally of Awami League with the support of some top level persons of the BNP-Jamaat-led government," he added.
Hanif said, "He (Hannan) said in his deposition that he was connected first with Maulana Tajuddin, brother of then-BNP government's deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintoo's brother. Later, they had gone to the-then State Minister for Home Lutfuzzaman Babar. Later, they were taken to the Hawa Bhaban accompanied by Babar and Cumilla lawmaker Kaikobad. He also said that Ali Ahsan Muzahid, Haris Chowdhury, DGFI chief Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, Brig Abdur Rahim and Tarique Rahman attended the meeting."
In the meeting, Tarique Rahman asked them not to go to Hawa Bhaban anymore and keep communication with Babar and Salam Pintoo, he added.
He said, "In accordance with the deposition and scrutinizing all evidences, the trial court and High Court awarded the sentence of death penalty and life term in jail against 24 accused including Tarique Rahman. The court has acquitted all of them on Sunday. What it proves? Was there no incident that took place on August 21? Had the Arges grenades imported from Pakistan were dropped on the Awami League rally from the sky?"
"Through the verdict, it was proved that the government had taken the judiciary hostage. A culture of mob justice had been introduced in the country. The price of such justice must be paid soon," he added.
