State machinery was abused in Aug 21 attacks: Quader

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the state machinery was abused under an orchestrated plan in launching the gruesome grenade attacks on August 21, 2004.

"In continuation of the August 15 (1975) carnage, the grenade attacks were carried out in a planned way to assassinate Sheikh Hasina," he told a regular view exchange meeting with Rajshahi road zone officials through videoconferencing from his official residence on parliament premises.

Quader, also Awami League general secretary, said BNP is now out to distort the incident of August 21 grenade attacks, which is clear like daylight, by terming it an accident.

He said various documents and statements of Mufti Hannan, kingpin of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, revealed who perpetrated the grisly attacks and held meetings to launch the attacks.

The attacks were carried out under the directives from Hawa Bhaban, the alternative power house of the then BNP government, and BNP's top leadership knew everything about the blueprint of the attack, he added.

Quader said BNP wanted to make the AL, the then opposition party in parliament, leaderless and wipe away the spirit of the Liberation War.

"Bangabandhu's daughter and the then Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina was the prime target of the August 21 grenade attacks. As Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the death and the planned conspiracy of Hawa Bhaban was not successful, the incident seems to be an accident to BNP leaders," he said.

The AL general secretary also said the then BNP government did everything to halt the trial of the grenade attacks by impeding the investigation, staged drama and destroyed the evidence.