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Aug 21 Grenade Attack Cases

Statements of four more PWS recorded

Court Correspondent
A Dhaka court yesterday recorded statements of four more prosecution witnesses (PWs), including a wounded man, in connection with the August 21, 2004 grenade attack cases.
Judge Mohammad Masdar Hossain of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 recorded the statements of Sajedul Alam Sabuj, Saiful Islam Kazi, Abdus Samad and Zillur Rahman. Later, they were cross-examined by defence lawyers.
The court then fixed May 6 for the next hearing and summoned several witnesses to appear before it.
In his statement, Sabuj said that he was present at the Awami League (AL) rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. At around 5:00pm on the day, AL President Sheikh Hasina gave a speech on the crisis prevailing in the country. Several grenades exploded just as Hasina was about to complete her speech with the slogans 'Joy BangI a, Joy Bangabandhu', at about 5:40pm.
During the explosions, Sabuj received splinters and broke his left leg. Later, he was admitted to a hospital for treatment. But he had go to India for better treatment as his health condition was deteriorating. He also came to learn from newspapers that Hasina had been the target of the attack, the witness said.
Three other witnesses Saiful. Samad and Zillur, also security guards of Bangabandhu Railway Super Market, said they saw a large number of policemen looking at a grenade inside the market the same day.
With yesterday's deposition, a total of 41 PWs have given their statements before the court and were cross-examined by defence lawyers.
The prime accused in the case, former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, Harkatul Jihad Al Islami (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and 12 others, now in jail, were produced before the court.
Eight others, including Pintu's brother Maulana Tajuddin, have been absconding since the cases were filed
Twenty-three people were killed and several others injured in the attacks.
On June 11 last year, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against Pyitu, Hannan and 20 others for carrying out the grenade attacks on the rally.
Meantime, a total of 101 workdays, out of 135 workdays fixed for completing the trial of cases under the Speedy Inal Tribunal Act, have already been elapsed.
However, Chief prosecutor Advocate Syed Rezaur Rahman told reporters that the trial of the cases would be complete in time.
As per the law, if the trial of the cases is not completed in time, the cases will be sent to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court for next steps.
The Sessions Court then will send the cases to another additional sessions court for trial, if the government does not promulgate any gazette to try the cases under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act.