The Bangladesh High Court has acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's son in the 2004 attack case against Sheikh Hasina

On Sunday, December 1, 2024, the High Court in Dhaka annulled the lower court's verdict and acquitted all the accused, including Tarique Rahman, son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and former State Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, in the 2004 grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina's rally. A spokesperson from the attorney general's office confirmed that the High Court had quashed the trial court's decision and acquitted all the convicted individuals, including Rahman, who is currently the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The attack, which occurred at an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka, resulted in 24 deaths and nearly 300 injuries. Following the attack, two cases were filed—one for murder and another under the Explosives Act. The High Court, presided over by Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain, stated that the trial court's verdict was "illegal." The bench reviewed the death references and appeals related to the case, noting that the trial court's judgment was based on a confession by Mufti Abdul Hannan, the leader of the banned militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), who was executed in connection with another case. The High Court ruled that the confessional statement had no evidential value because it was coerced and not properly examined by the magistrate.

The decision came after the defense lawyers requested the High Court to overturn the trial court's verdict, claiming there were no specific allegations against the accused. Meanwhile, the Deputy Attorney Generals representing the State argued for the lower court's verdict to be upheld, stating the allegations against the convicted individuals had been proven beyond reasonable doubt.

The attack on August 21, 2004, targeted Sheikh Hasina, then the opposition leader, who narrowly escaped, while 24 others were killed. A Dhaka court in 2018 sentenced 19 individuals, including Lutfozzaman Babar, to death in connection with the attack. Rahman, who is currently in London, was sentenced to life imprisonment along with 19 others. The incident is considered a turning point in Bangladesh's political landscape, with some analysts describing it as a deliberate and barbaric act aimed at eliminating the Awami League leadership. The FBI was called in to investigate the attack.