SC begins hearing appeals against Tarique, Babar’s acquittal in Aug 21 cases

NN Online:

The Supreme Court has begun hearing appeals challenging the acquittal of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, and others in two cases related to the 2004 August 21 grenade attack.

A full bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, commenced the proceedings this morning. Defence counsel SM Shahjahan began placing arguments before the court.

Also present in the courtroom were defence lawyers AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Kayser Kamal, and Mohammad Shishir Manir, alongside Additional Attorney Generals Md Arshadur Rauf and Aneek R Haque.

The apex court had fixed today’s date for the hearing following a decision taken on Tuesday.

Earlier, on June 2, the Appellate Division granted the state permission to file two separate appeals against the High Court verdict that acquitted all 49 accused, including Tarique and Babar. The HC ruling, delivered on December 1 last year, overturned trial court verdicts that had convicted and sentenced the accused in connection with the grenade attack on an Awami League rally in 2004.

The High Court’s acquittal came after hearing death reference and appeals from several convicts. The state later appealed to the Appellate Division seeking to overturn the decision.