Bangladesh High Court Acquits All in Grenade Attack

The Bangladesh High Court has acquitted all accused individuals, including Tarique Rahman and ex-State Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, in the 2004 grenade attack case on an Awami League rally in Dhaka that resulted in 24 deaths and nearly 300 injuries. The High Court found the trial court's verdict legally flawed, particularly critiquing the coerced confessional statement of Mufti Abdul Hannan. This decision overturns the previous 2018 convictions by Dhaka's First Speedy Trial Tribunal, which sentenced 19 to death and others to life imprisonment. The ruling, delivered by the bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain, followed an extensive review of case materials and appeals. Families of the accused expressed relief and gratitude, asserting that justice was served. This decision holds significant political and historical implications for Bangladesh.