Biswajit Mondal, Voice 9, Dhaka Bureau: August 21 is now. A grenade attack occurred on August 21, 2004, while the BNP-Jamaat leadership was still in power, in front of the Awami League's main headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue. 22 politicians and activists were assassinated on that day, including Ivy Rahman, the late President Zillur Rahman's wife.
To leave the Awami Leagues without a leader, the murderers planned the terrible attack with the goal of murdering the party's senior national officials, including its president, Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina's car was targeted on that day in addition to the grenade assault with the goal of killing her. Sheikh Hasina almost made it out alive, but not without being hurt and suffering irreversible hearing loss.
More than 500 leaders and activists, including journalists of print and electronic media, were injured in the grenade splinter attack. Even today, many people are living a miserable life with that injury.
Awami League leaders said that the case was not properly investigated by the coalition government and that there were various conspiracies to divert the case and destroy the evidence to protect the conspirators. Even during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, the drama 'Judge Mia' was staged to divert the grenade attack case.
Over time, two cases of the incident continued. One is a murder case, and the other is a case under the Explosive Substances Act. After 14 long years, in 2018, the court announced the verdict in the two cases on August 21. Of the total 49 convicts, 19 were sentenced to death, 19 to life imprisonment, and the remaining 11 to different terms of imprisonment.
A wreath-laying ceremony will be held at the Shaheed Altar in front of the Awami League central office on Bangabandhu Avenue at 11:30 a.m. on Monday to mark the day.
A discussion meeting will also be held at 11:15 a.m. to protest the brutal grenade attack on August 21 and remember the victims. Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting and deliver important speeches.
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