The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has begun hearings on the state’s appeal against the High Court verdict that acquitted all accused in the much-discussed August 21 grenade attack case, including BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman. On Thursday, July 17, a six-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed initiated the hearing. Senior lawyer SM Shahjahan was appointed by the Appellate Division as state defense counsel for the absconding accused.

Earlier, on June 1, the state received permission to file the appeal against the High Court’s judgment. On December 1 of the previous year, the High Court had overturned the lower court’s verdict and acquitted all the accused, including former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar and Tarique Rahman, declaring the trial court’s decision invalid.

In 2018, the trial court had sentenced 19 individuals, including Babar and former Deputy Education Minister Abdus Salam Pintu, to death. Tarique Rahman and 18 others were given life imprisonment, while 11 more received varying prison terms.

The grenade attack occurred on August 21, 2004, during a political rally of then-opposition leader Sheikh Hasina on Bangabandhu Avenue (now Shaheed Abrar Fahad Avenue). The assault left 24 leaders and activists of the Awami League dead and injured hundreds more.