15th anniversary of Aug 21 grenade attack today

August 21, 2019 00:00:00

The file photo shows stunned Sheikh Hasina (left) during the Aug 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the city in 2004 that caused a mayhem

The nation is set to observe the 15th anniversary of the gruesome grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) anti-terrorism rally in the capital on August 21 in 2004 today (Wednesday), reports BSS.

The nation's long wait seeking justice of the attack that killed 24 people and wounded nearly 500 finally ended as a special court pronounced the verdict of a case filed son October 10, 2018.

The court awarded death sentence to 19 people including former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar and life imprisonment to 19 including ex-premier Khaleda Zia's fugitive son Tarique Rahman in connection with the attack.

The then opposition leader and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other front ranking leaders of AL narrowly escaped the carnage.

But, 24 people including the then Mahila AL president and wife of late President Zillur Rahman were killed.

Those others killed included the then opposition leader's personal security guard Lance Corporal (retd) Mahbubur Rashid, Abul Kalam Azad, Rezina Begum, Nasir Uddin Sardar, Atique Sarkar, Abdul Kuddus Patwari, Aminul Islam Moazzem, Belal Hossain, Mamun Mridha, Ratan Shikdar, Liton Munshi, Hasina Mamtaz Reena, Sufia Begum, Rafiqul Islam (Ada Chacha), Mostaque Ahmed Sentu, Md Hanif, Abul Kashem, Zahed Ali, Momen Ali, M Shamsuddin and Ishaque Miah.

Prominent among those suffered serious splinter injuries included Sheikh Hasina, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, Obaidul Quader, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Mohammad Hanif, Prof Abu Sayeed, and AFM Bahauddin Nasim.

Marking the anniversary, the ruling AL, its front and associate bodies and its left-leaning allies, and other political parties, social-cultural and professional organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes across the country.

AL and its associate bodies will place wreaths at a makeshift altar in front of the party's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue at 9.00am today (Wednesday).

A discussion will be held at Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh (KIB) at Khamarbari in the city's Farmgate area at 4.00pm.