AL, its cronies orchestrated Aug 21 grenade attack: Rizvi

FE Report

BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged on Sunday that Awami League and its cronies had orchestrated the tragic grenade attack on August 21, 2004.

At a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central office, he said the BNP-led alliance was in power with two-thirds majority in parliament and was ruling the country well when the grenade attack took place.

"During this time, why would BNP do such self-destructive activity that will tarnish their image?" he questioned.

The BNP joint secretary general said such blast would help the then opposition Awami League (AL) draw public sympathy and cause BNP loose people's trust a lot.

"With this objective, the blast was carried out on the AL rally bypassing the stage where Sheikh Hasina was delivering speech," he said.

Mentioning another reasons behind the attack, he said the AL wanted to brand then ruling BNP-led alliance as the sponsor of militancy in the global platform.

"That's why AL and its leaders and activists were singing chorus of blame against the then coalition government. Though AL produced militancy, BNP combated it," he said.

Apart from this, as troops' mutiny erupted in the Pilkhana headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), later renamed Border Guard

Bangladesh, during the tenure of the AL in 2009, then army chief General Moeen Uddin Ahmed sought order to send troops there but the 'current illegal' government did not give the order.

"Why did it (the government) delay in responding? Why should the AL government not be held responsible for the carnage?" he questioned .

Twenty four people, including late president Zillur Rahman's wife Ivy Rahman, were killed and over 200 injured in the grenade attack on a rally of the then main opposition Awami League in front of its central office at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.

Awami League president and then opposition chief Sheikh Hasina among others escaped the attack but the explosions caused her hearing damage.

On October 10, 2018, a Dhaka court sentenced 19 people, including the then BNP-led government's State Minister Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and his deputy Abdus Salam Pintu to death.

BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman, also and eldest son of jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with 18 others was handed a life sentence.

UNB adds: Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at the press conference presented a list of its dead, sick, and hajj-performing leaders reportedly implicated in various 'fictitious' cases filed over the last one and a half months.

"We're presenting the list of our leaders who were dead, bedridden or staying abroad for hajj or other purposes made accused in the fictitious cases on charge of hurling stones at police," he said.

The BNP leader said the list will not only make people laugh, but also exposed how police falsely implicate people in cases.

He said at least nine of their leaders who died before September this year were made accused in different 'ghostly' cases filed from September 1 to October 13 this year.

As per the list, Dhaka City Corporation ex-ward commissioner M Azizullah died in 2016, while Kamrangichar BNP vice president Nurul Islam in August 31, 2018, Dhaka city unit party leader Mintoo Kumar Das in July, 2016, Kafrul leader Ali Asgar Matabbar in 2014, Keraniganj BNP leader Dewan Munshi in January 31, 1998, Kushtia leader Arab Ali in December, 2017, another leader of the same district Abul Kashem Sheikh in 2016, Jhenidah leader Shah Jamal in 2016 and Habiganj leader Shamsul Haque Kalam in 2010.

Rizvi said BNP standing committee member and former minister Tariqul Islam who has long been suffering from various diseases, including cancer, were implicated in various 'fictitious' cases filed with Paltan, Khilgaon and Motijheel Police Stations.