Probe, trial ‘staged by AL’: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday alleged that the investigation and trial in the August 21 grenade attack case were "staged" by the Awami League.

"The trial proceedings have already been done. What's left? I would call the whole thing staged," he was responding to a query from journalists at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan office.

He further said, "The venue of the rally was moved from where the rally was supposed to be held. But the authorities concerned were not informed of this development."

He claimed that BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and other party leaders were falsely implicated in the case due to political vendetta.

Tarique's name was included as an accused much later, but he was never named in the FIR, he said, alleging that, "Tarique Rahman's name was never mentioned in the entire investigation. Mufti Hannan was the only person who was made to say his name ... He [Hannan] later denied it and gave an affidavit which was not accepted."

The grenade attack was launched on an anti-terrorism rally organised by then opposition AL on August 21, 2004, in front of its central office on Bangabandhu Avenue, killing 24 people and injuring scores.

Condemning the grenade attack, Fakhrul termed it one of the most heinous act in Bangladesh politics.

"Tarique Rahman, Abdus Salam Pintu, and Lutfozzaman Babar were not involved in the attack, they have been implicated for political reasons. This has been done without any proper investigation," he added.

At the briefing, Fakhrul also disclosed the programmes to mark the 45th founding anniversary of the BNP on September 1 after a joint meeting of the party and its associate bodies.