A Dhaka tribunal had to adjourn yesterday's proceedings of two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack as several defence lawyers failed to appear before it and those present at the court were not ready to proceed with the closing arguments.

Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 adjourned the proceedings until today and asked all defence lawyers to avoid such a situation.

Yesterday, the tribunal started recording the closing arguments of the defence at 12:51pm and three state-appointed defence counsels placed their arguments on behalf of their fugitive clients.

Lawyers for Jahangir Alom Badar, Ratul Babu and Mahibul Muktakin said their clients' names were not in the first information report and that they were not involved in the attack. The lawyers sought their clients' acquittal.

At 1:15pm, the judge realised that counsels for other fugitive accused were not in the courtroom.

The judge said state-appointed defence counsels for eight fugitives had so far placed their closing arguments, and six more state-appointed defence lawyers were yet to do this.

He then asked the defence counsels, who were representing the accused in jail or on bail, to place their closing arguments, but none of them were in the court.

The judge said, "I had an apprehension that this kind of situation may arise and that's why I had asked you [the defence] to fix who will place arguments after whom.

"One or two state-appointed defence counsels may have problems, and they can deliver their arguments later. But why you [the defence for the accused in jail and on bail] won't be prepared."

As the judge asked other lawyers present in the courtroom whether they had any information about any state-appointed defence counsel, Chaitanya Chandra Halder, a state-appointed defence lawyer, said Abul Kalam Md Akhter Hossain, state-appointed defence lawyer for BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, was sick and he would place his submission tomorrow.

At that point, Syed Rezaur Rahman, chief prosecutor of the cases, said several defence counsels were present at the courtroom, and the tribunal had already asked them to be prepared. “So, someone from them can start [arguments] to avoid the waste of time."

Then, the judge asked two defence counsels to deliver their arguments, but they declined, citing “lack of preparations”.

Rezaur said, “I wonder whether all defence counsels reached an agreement to delay the proceedings after holding a meeting.”    

"I don't think so, because they have been assisting me [tribunal] all along,” the judge said.

Then, Saifur Rashid Sabuj, a counsel for seven accused who are now in prison, said he would start his submission today if any state-appointed defence counsel was not able to place their arguments.

The tribunal adjourned the proceedings at 1:30pm.

Twenty-four leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate bodies were killed and over 300 others suffered splinter injuries in the August 21 attack on an AL rally in 2004.

Many of the injured became crippled for life while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 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 Tarique, have been absconding.

Twenty-three other 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.