Appellate Division Clears Tarique, Babar, and others in 2004 Grenade Attack Case
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court’s verdict acquitting all accused, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and former state minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, in the 21 August 2004 grenade attack case. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday by a six-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, dismissed the state’s appeal challenging the High Court’s decision.
The verdict clears Tarique Rahman, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, and Babar, who faced a death sentence, along with all other accused in the case. The decision follows a five-day hearing that concluded on August 21, with the verdict scheduled for September 4. Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud represented the state, while senior lawyer SM Shahjahan and Barrister Md. Shishir Monir appeared for the accused.
The High Court, comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman (now an Appellate Division judge) and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain, had acquitted all accused on December 1, 2024, with the full text of the verdict published on December 19. The state subsequently filed leave-to-appeal petitions, and on June 1, 2025, the Appellate Division granted permission to hear the appeal, leading to Wednesday’s ruling.
According to Tarique Rahman’s legal team, the BNP leader faced 84 cases over the years. He was convicted in five by trial courts, including the 21 August grenade attack case, the Zia Orphanage Trust case, a money laundering case, a defamation case in Narail, and a case involving amassing wealth beyond known sources of income. Since August 5, 2024, higher courts have acquitted him in all these cases, effectively clearing him of all convictions.
The 21 August 2004 grenade attack targeted an Awami League rally led by Sheikh Hasina, resulting in 24 deaths. In 2018, a lower court sentenced 19 individuals, including Babar and BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintoo, to death, while 19 others, including Tarique, received life imprisonment. The High Court began hearing appeals in December 2022 after receiving the trial court’s judgment for review.
The Appellate Division’s ruling marks a significant development in one of Bangladesh’s most high-profile cases, closing a chapter that has long been a focal point of political and legal contention.
