The accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases met at : eight places in the capital d including Hawa Bhaban in preparation for the grisly blasts around seven years back.

The prosecution said this to a Dhaka court on the first day of chargeframing hearing yesterday.

They, however, did not specify how many meetings were held at those places. Neither did they mention who among the accused attended which of the meetings.

The eight spots are Hawa Bhaban, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's former political office at Banani;

BNP leader and ex-deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu's Dhanmondi residence; Huji chief Mufti Abdul Hannan's house at Merul Badda; Ali & Noor Real Estate near Mohammadpur Supermarket;

Masjidul Akbar Complex at Mirpur-1; DIT Project area at Merul Badda; Engineer Nazrul Islam's house at East Badda; and Ahsanullah Kajal's house at West Merul in Badda.

On August 21, 2004, grenade blasts at

an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue killed 24 AL leaders and workers and maimed around200others.’IWo cases were filed in this connection: one for killing and the other under the explosive substances act.

In their 90-minute submission to the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1, the prosecution yesterday described the offences of the 52 charge-sheeted accused in the two cases.

The accused include some BNP bigwigs, former top intelligence and police officials and members of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji).

Syed Rezaur Rahman, chief prosecutor in the cases, said the motive of the attack on AL rally was to kill the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina and other topleadersofherparty.

The prosecution proposed the court frame charges against all 52 accused in the two cases.

The Criminal Investigation Department submitted charge sheet twice-once in 2008 and theninjulythisyear.

Those involved in hatching the plot for August 21 attack included Tarique Rahman, senior vice-chairman of BNP and Khaleda's elder son; Lutfozzaman Babar, former state minister for home; Harris Chowdhury, former political secretary of the then prime minister; Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed; Salam Pintu; BNP lawmaker Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad; and Huji chiefHannan.

Some of the 52 accused were involved in staging the blasts. Some others including three former inspectors general of police--Ashraful Huda, Shahudul Haque and Khoda Baksh Chowdhury--were complicit in destroying the evidence. Several others including three former CID officials were involved in attempts to divert the investigation.

Abdus Salam Pintu's brother MoulanaTajuddin supplied the grenades used in the attack

The court started yesterday's proceedings with rejection of time petitions by six accused includingBabar.

Judge Shahed Nuruddin rejected the petitions, citing that the defence had already got five time extensions on different grounds.

After the prosecution completed its submission, the court fixed October 13 for hearing arguments of the defence.

Thirty-two accused including Mojaheed and Babar, who are now behind bars, were produced before the court. Dhaka City Corporation Ward Councillor Ariftil Islam Arif, now on bail, was also present. Tarique, Harris, Kaikobad and 16othershaveyettosurrender.