Tarique's acquittal sought

The defence lawyer for BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday concluded closing arguments and sought acquittal of his client in cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in 2004.

State-appointed lawyer AKM Akhter Hossain argued for Tarique for one and a half hours saying that the charges brought against his client were not proved.

The prosecution completely failed to prove the charges of criminal conspiracy and other charges, including killing, against Tarique, the lawyer argued.

After his arguments, Moinuddin Miah, another defence lawyer for Mufti Yahiya, started his closing arguments in the cases.

Later, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka set up adjacent to Dhaka Central Jail, adjourned the hearing till today when the defence counsel will resume his arguments.

In his arguments, Akhter said police filed a case with Motijheel Police Station on the following day of the attack, but his client Tarique's name was not there and even Tarique's name was not in the first two charge sheets. Tarique's name first came from the second confessional statement of Huji leader Mufti Abdul Hannan, Akhter argued.

During yesterday's arguments, Akhter Hossain cited different contradictions between the statements of 19 prosecution witnesses and the confessional statements of Mufti Hannan.

Akhter argued that 19 prosecution witnesses gave testimonies before the tribunal, linking Tarique with the grenade attack, but none of them mentioned Tarique's name while giving statements before the investigation officer of the cases.

The investigation officer implicated his client for providing administrative assistance to the grenade attackers. But Tarique was not holding any government portfolio.

Tarique was falsely implicated in the cases as a part of conspiracy to harass him politically, Akhter argued, adding that he placed different rulings of the higher courts where it was said an accused was not convicted on the basis of a confessional statements of a co-accused.

Meanwhile, defence lawyers for 15 other accused including former BNP lawmaker Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad also completed their closing arguments and sought acquittal of their clients of the charges.

Twenty-four leaders and activists of the AL and its associate bodies were killed and over 300 others suffered splinter injuries in the August 21 attack. Ivy Rahman, the then Mohila AL president and also the wife of late president Zillur Rahman, was among the killed.

Many of the injured became crippled for life while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the then opposition leader, narrowly escaped the attack with ear injuries.

Of the 49 accused, eight including three former inspector generals of police are now on bail, while 18 including BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman have been absconding.

Twenty-three accused, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and ex-deputy minister for education Abdus Salam Pintu, now behind bars, were produced before the court yesterday.