Top News Desk: Today, the date is August 21. On this day in the year 2004, a tragic grenade attack shook Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital city. The Awami League rally that was taking place became the target of a brutal attack, resulting in the loss of 22 Awami League leaders and activists on this very day 19 years ago.
At that time, Sheikh Hasina, who was the opposition leader back then and is now the Prime Minister, miraculously survived the attack, but her hearing suffered lasting damage. Many members of the party who were present and wounded during the attack continue to bear the painful legacy of grenade fragments within their bodies. To commemorate this event, the Awami League observes this day as Grenade Attack Day.
The unfortunate incident occurred during an ‘anti-terrorism, militancy, and anti-corruption rally’ held in front of the Awami League’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka. Sheikh Hasina, then an opposition leader, was addressing the gathering from an open platform set up on a truck. Towards the end of her speech, a brutal grenade assault unfolded, transforming Bangabandhu Avenue into a scene of chaos within moments. The entire area was engulfed in thick black smoke, and numerous Awami League leaders and supporters were found lying wounded on the streets. The day’s atmosphere was filled with the cries and moans of the injured, making the sky heavy with their anguish.
Despite the grenade attack, Sheikh Hasina’s life was shielded by party members who formed a human barrier around her. On that day, not only were grenades hurled, but an attempt was also made on Sheikh Hasina’s life through gunfire aimed at her car. Although she survived, her hearing was severely impaired. Tragically, 22 Awami League leaders and activists lost their lives, while more than 500 individuals, including journalists from both print and electronic media, sustained injuries from grenade fragments.
Among the victims of this horrific attack were Ivy Rahman, the Women’s Affairs Secretary of Awami League and the spouse of former President Zillur Rahman, as well as Lance Corporal (Retd.) Mahbubur Rashid, who served as Sheikh Hasina’s personal security guard. The list of those who perished also includes Abul Kalam Azad, Awami League workers Regina Begum, Liton Munshi, Atiq Sarkar, Abdul Quddus Patwari, Nasir Uddin Sardar, Aminul Islam, Belal Hossain, Mamun Mridha, Moazzem, Ratan Shikder, Sufia Begum, Rafiqul Islam (also known as Ginger Uncle), Hasina Mumtaz Rina, Mushtaq Ahmed Sentu, Zaheed Ali, Momen Ali, Abul Kashem, M Shamsuddin, and Isaac Miah.
Numerous Awami League leaders were also injured that day, including Amir Hossain Amu, Obaidul Quader, AFM Bahauddin Nashim, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Advocate Umme Razia Kajal, AM Kamal Hossain, Nasima Ferdous, Mahbooba Parveen, Shahida Tarek Dipti, Rasheda Akhtar Ruma, and Hamida Khanam, alongside more than five hundred activists.
The Awami League has consistently pointed to the then-ruling BNP’s involvement in orchestrating this attack. The investigation took a controversial turn when a confessional statement regarding the grenade attack was attributed to an individual named Judge Miah, presumably to divert attention from the actual incident. Subsequent to this, the case was reexamined during the 2007 military-backed caretaker government. This led to the identification of Mufti Abdul Hannan, the leader of the banned militant organization Harkatul Jihad, and Abdus Salam Pintu, deputy minister of the then BNP government, as key figures in the attack.
With the Awami League government’s rise to power in 2009, the investigation was once again resumed. After a long span of 14 years, in 2018, the Honorable Court finally delivered its verdict on August 21, regarding the grenade attack case. The court’s decision resulted in the sentencing of 19 individuals to death, 19 to life imprisonment, and the remaining 11 to varying terms of confinement.
Written by: Habiba Sultana
[…] Today Marks August 21: Remembrance of the Grenade Attack […]