Even though 14 years have passed since the grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina’s political rally on August 21, 2004, the case has not yet been disposed of due to "unnecessary delay by defence lawyers during the trial process".

The prosecution side last year assured that the trial proceedings for the August 21 grenade attack case would be disposed of within a year. However, the trial proceedings have not been completed by August 21 as both the prosecution and the defence are now delivering their final arguments before the court.

After completion of the final arguments, the court will set a date to deliver the verdict of the case. “The trial proceedings had been hampered due to unnecessary delay by defence lawyers. Otherwise, these would have been completed two months ago,” Syed Rezaur Rahman, chief prosecutor in the case, told The Independent.

Advocate Rafiqul Islam, a defence counsel, said this was a major case. “A total of 52 people were accused in the case. Defence lawyers didn’t take much time. The prosecution, in fact, has been trying to wrap up the case in a hurry,” he added.

Advocate Sanaullah Miah, another defence counsel, said the government had been trying to complete the trial proceedings quickly. "The defence side has not been allowed much time. The state is trying to complete the trial proceedings within a short time," he alleged.

The final arguments of the case had started before the court on October 23 last year. But they are yet to be completed even after nine months.

On August 13 and 14, the defence lawyers submitted the final arguments on behalf of former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar, the last accused in the case. The defence may submit their arguments on the next hearing, scheduled to be held on August 27, 28 and 29 respectively.

After the completion of the final arguments by the defence lawyers, the state side will give replies. This will take a few days and then the defence may also give their replies, which will take some more days. Hence, the trial proceedings of the case may not be completed very soon, the lawyers involved in the case observed.

However, the prosecution side expressed hope that the trial proceedings would be completed by this year.

The grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally by the Awami League to kill the party’s front-ranking leaders, including Sheikh Hasina. As many as 24 people, including then Mohila Awami League president Ivy Rahman, were killed and 500 were injured. Sheikh Hasina and several senior leaders had a narrow escape.

According to the case history, Faruk Hossain, then sub-inspector of Motijheel police station, had lodged a complaint on August 22, 2004. Two cases were filed in connection with the blasts—one under the Explosive Substances Act and the other for murder.

The trial began in 2008, and the court recorded the statements of 225 witnesses, out of the total of 491 witnesses, in both cases till date. On June 9, 2008, the CID had pressed charges against BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu, Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and 20 others for the grenade attack. The AL formed the government in 2009 and submitted petitions on August 3, 2009 for further investigation into the cases. Following the plea, the court ordered the CID to carry out the probe.

On July 3, 2011, the CID submitted supplementary charge-sheets against 30 people, including BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, BNP leader Harris Chowdhury, and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.

On March 18, 2012, the court framed charges against Tarique and others. The second trial commenced in the following month.

The trial for the 52 accused in the two cases is being held simultaneously with Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 at the makeshift court at a building near Dhaka Central Jail gate. The court will hold the next hearing on August 22 and 23.

According to intelligence agencies, among the 18 fugitive accused, Tarique Rahman is now in London, Harris Chowdhury is in Assam of India, Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad is in Bangkok, Mohammad Hanif, owner of Hanif Enterprise, is in Kolkata, Maj. Gen. (retd) ATM Amin is in the US, Lt Col (retd) Saiful Islam Joarder is in Canada, Babu alias Ratul Babu is in India, and Anisul Morsalin and his brother Mohibul Muttakin are lodged in an Indian jail.

Militant leaders Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hai, Maulana Abu Bakar, Iqbal, Khalilur Rahman, Jahangir Alam alias Badar, Maulana Liton alias Zobair alias Delwar, and Maulana Tajul Islam, the then deputy commissioner (east), Md Obaidur Rahman, and the then deputy commissioner (south), Khan Syed Hasan, are absconding. Of the accused, eight are on bail, while 26, including Lutfozzaman Babar, are behind bars.One of the prime accused in the case, former Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, was hanged in a case pertaining to crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation war.