The 2004 Dhaka grenade attack took place at an anti-terrorism rally organised by
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
on Bangabandhu Avenue on 21 August 2004. The attack left 24 dead and more than 500 injured. The attack was carried out at 5:22 pm after
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...
, the leader of opposition had finished addressing a crowd of 20,000 people from the back of a truck. The attacks targeted
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
president
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...
. Hasina was injured in the attack.
Events and casualties
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
chief
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...
had been speaking at a public meeting on Bangabandhu Avenue, protesting blasts against the party's workers in
Sylhet
Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
. The rally drew a crowd of 20,000 people. As Hasina finished her speech, a total of 13
grenades
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade gene ...
were thrown into the crowd from the rooftops of nearby buildings, killing at least 16 people on spot, later the death toll reached 24. The blast left more than 500 injured. Among the dead were Hasina's bodyguard, Mahbubur Rahman and
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
Women's Affairs Secretary
Ivy Rahman
Ivy Rahman ( bn, আইভি রহমান;; 7 July 1934 – 24 August 2004) was a Bangladeshi politician. She was the Women's Affairs secretary of Awami League. She was killed in the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack.
Career
Rahman was the foundi ...
, who died from her injuries three days later.
Reaction
The
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
called for a nationwide
hartal
Hartal () is a term in many Indian languages for a strike action that was first used during the Indian independence movement (also known as the nationalist movement) of the early 20th century. A hartal is a mass protest, often involving a total sh ...
on 23 and 24 August 2004 following the incident.
Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia (; born Khaleda Khanam Putul in 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Ba ...
, then
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের প্রধানমন্ত্রী, translit=Bangladesher Prodhanmontri), officially Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজা ...
condemned the attacks, and also vowed a thorough probe to catch the culprits. An
intercity train
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that run services that connect cities over longer distances than commuter or regional trains.
There is no precise definition of inter-city rail; its meaning may vary from country ...
was burned down by
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
activists on strike in
Bhairab.
Awami Leagues activists also organized protests in
Chittagong
Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
and furled black flags at the sight of the attack. A funeral service for the victims at
Baitul Mokarram National Mosque was attended by 20 thousand people.
Protests in Dhaka were attacked by members of Bangladesh Police and
Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the workers wing of
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, Bangladesh Jātīyotābādī Dol; BNP) is a centre-right to right-wing nationalist, political party in Bangladesh and one of the major ...
. The
Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal activists also attacked and injured six
members of the press.
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
,
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, expressed "shock" at the attack and conveyed his message to
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia (; born Khaleda Khanam Putul in 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Ba ...
and
Opposition leader
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...
through the
Secretary of State of the United States
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
,
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...
. The attack was also condemned by the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
.
Investigation
Initial investigation
Bangladesh Police
The Bangladesh Police ( bn, বাংলাদেশ পুলিশ) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a law enforcement agency, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace, and enforcement ...
refused to register any criminal case filed by
Bangladesh Awami League
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
over the attack and only registered a general diary.
The government initially refused to hand over the bodies of the victims. Investigators from the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
and
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
made repeated visits to
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
to provide technical support.
The Government also tried to implicate Mokhlesur Rahman, an Awami League activists, and Shaibal Saha Partha. They were arrested by Bangladesh Police.
Shaibal Saha Partha and Joj Miah were tortured in custody and forced to give a false confessional statement. An investigation by the
Supreme Court Bar Association accused the government of destroying evidence. The government was also criticised for hurriedly burying two unidentified dead bodies from the terror attack in the middle of the night.
In 2004, the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, Bangladesh Jātīyotābādī Dol; BNP) is a centre-right to right-wing nationalist, political party in Bangladesh and one of the major ...
-led alliance government assigned the Crime Investigation Department of the police to foresee the investigation. They came up with a story that some Joj Miah, also known as Jamal Ahmed from Noakhali district, along with 14 other criminals of Seven Star terrorist group of Subrata Bain attacked the
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
rally. They met at Moghbazar before the attack, and rehearsed at a remote island before the attack. The government of Bangladesh formed a one-man judicial probe led by Justice Joynul Abedin. The
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people.
The adjective appears in the following proper names:
*Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
*Awami Front, wa ...
rejected the commission which blamed the attack on a neighboring country. ''The Daily Star'' described Abedin as a "shame" for the judiciary in Bangladesh.
On 26 June 2005 Joj Mia, a petty criminal, confessed his involvement in the crime under section 164, to the magistrate. The story collapsed following investigative journalism who discovered holes in the official story.
Fresh investigation
In 2007, after the military-backed government assumed office, many of the BNP and Awami League leaders were rounded up by the government agencies, and fresh investigation into the case was launched.
After almost one year, in November 2007, Mufti Hannan, a militant leader from
Gopalganj
Gopalganj may refer to:
Bangladesh
*Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, a district of Dhaka Division
**Gopalganj, Bangladesh, a town and headquarter of Gopalganj district
**Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, an upazila of Gopalganj District
** Gopalganj-1, a pa ...
who was arrested by the BNP-led government in 2005, revealed that the attack was operated by the militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami of which he was a leader. He also admitted that he got support from Maulana Tazuddin, brother of BNP leader and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu while coordinating the attack.
According to his statement, Abdus Salam Pintu had knowledge of the attack.
In 2008, after the detailed investigation, the then CID high official
Mohammad Javed Patwary concluded that the attack was aimed at killing
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...
and was guided by the common grievance of both Mufti Hannan and
Abdus Salam Pintu
Abdus Salam Pintu is a Bangladeshi politician. He is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party member and a former deputy Minister for Education. In 2018, he was sentenced to death for involvement in the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack.
Career
Pintu served a ...
against
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...
for her role in "subduing" Islam. The investigation report mentioned that, Abdus Salam Pintu was personally responsible for the attack.
Further investigation
In 2009, Awami League came to office and decided to launch a further investigation into the incident and appointed a retired CID official
Abdul Kahar Akhand as the person in charge.
In the same year, Abdul Majed Bhat alias Yusuf Bhat gave a confessional statement with the details regarding the source of grenade used in the attack. He claimed that Muzaffar Ahmad Shah of Tehrik-e-Jihad Islami (TEJI) gave the grenades to Maulana Tajuddin to send those to Indian militant groups. Tajuddin, instead of sending those to India, kept those with him. According to Yusuf Bhat, these grenades were later handed over to Mufti Hannan to carry out the attack.
After two years, in 2011, Mufti Hannan gave another confessional statement implicating many big names, mostly BNP leaders and some former officials of the government including the son of opposition leader and former prime minister
Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia (; born Khaleda Khanam Putul in 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Ba ...
,
Tarique Rahman
Tarique Rahman is a Bangladeshi politician who is the current acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since February 2018. He has been residing in London with his family since he left Bangladesh in September 2008.
Early life and ...
, former deputy minister
Abdus Salam Pintu
Abdus Salam Pintu is a Bangladeshi politician. He is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party member and a former deputy Minister for Education. In 2018, he was sentenced to death for involvement in the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack.
Career
Pintu served a ...
, former member of parliament
Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad and some officials of the Home Ministry,
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
,
Directorate General of Forces Intelligence
The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence ( bn, প্রতিরক্ষা গোয়েন্দা মহাপরিদপ্তর), commonly known as DGFI, is the military intelligence agency of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, tas ...
(DGFI),
National Security Intelligence
The Directorate General of National Security Intelligence ( bn, জাতীয় নিরাপত্তা গোয়েন্দা সংস্থা, Jātīẏa nirāpattā gōẏēndā saṅghastha), commonly known as the NSI, is the ...
(NSI) and Prime Minister's Office (PMO) with involvement in the planning of the bombing.
In the statement, Mufti Hannan claimed that the attack was aimed at destroying the top leadership of Awami League including Sheikh Hasina, and BNP leader Tarique Rahman along with Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and the then Home Minister Lutfuzzaman Babor assured them with government support.
Perpetrators
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي, ''Ḥarkat al-Jihād al-Islāmiyah'', meaning "Islamic Jihad Movement", HuJI) is a Pakistani Islamic fundamentalist Jihadist organisation affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Talib ...
(HUJI) leader
Mufti Abdul Hannan
Mufti Abdul Hannan (died 12 April 2017) was a Bangladeshi terrorist and the chief of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh, Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh. He was sentenced to death by hanging for multiple crimes and executed on 12 April 2017 ...
was arrested on 30 September 2005 for the grenade attacks, and was later charged in connection with it. He reportedly confessed to the attacks in November 2007.
He was sentenced to death in December 2008 for attempting to kill
Anwar Choudhury
Anwar Bakht Choudhury ( bn, আনোয়ার বখত চৌধুরী; born 15 June 1959) is a British diplomat of Bangladeshi origin. He was Governor of the Cayman Islands until he was recalled in June 2018 after less than three month ...
in 2004. In March 2012, the son of opposition leader and former prime minister
Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia (; born Khaleda Khanam Putul in 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Ba ...
,
Tarique Rahman
Tarique Rahman is a Bangladeshi politician who is the current acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since February 2018. He has been residing in London with his family since he left Bangladesh in September 2008.
Early life and ...
, and 28 others were tried in absentia for their alleged involvement in the attack.
The supplementary charge sheets charges
Huji Huji or HUJI may refer to:
*Hebrew University of Jerusalem, university in Israel
* Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Islamic fundamentalist organization
*Hukou system (户籍), household registration system in mainland China and the Republic of China (Tai ...
, influential leaders of the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, Bangladesh Jātīyotābādī Dol; BNP) is a centre-right to right-wing nationalist, political party in Bangladesh and one of the major ...
(BNP) and the
Jamaat, including former deputy minister
Abdus Salam Pintu
Abdus Salam Pintu is a Bangladeshi politician. He is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party member and a former deputy Minister for Education. In 2018, he was sentenced to death for involvement in the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack.
Career
Pintu served a ...
, former member of parliament
Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad and some officials of the Home Ministry, police, DGFI, NSI and PMO with involvement in the planning of the bombing.
Jamal Ahmed, also known as Joj Mia was coerced into giving a false confession. He was forced to implicate Seven-Star Group, led by Subrata Bain through torture by security forces during BNP rule.
Charges and punishments
On 10 October 2018, a special court, Speedy Trial Tribunal-1, delivered verdicts in relevant cases and accused 49 persons in total.
It ruled the grenade attack "was a well-orchestrated plan, executed through abuse of state power".
[ Judge Shahed Nuruddin said, "The specialised deadly Arges grenades that are used in wars were blasted at the Awami League's central office on 23 Bangabandhu Avenue in broad daylight with the help of the then state machinery".][ On charges of killing through common intention, planning and criminal conspiracy, 38 persons were found guilty.] 19 of them were sentenced to death:
On the same charges, 19 others were given life term in prison sentences:
All of the 38 were also found guilty of grievously injuring victims through common intention, planning and criminal conspiracy and sentenced to jail for 20 years.[
On the charge for harbouring the offenders, former Inspectors General of Police ]Ashraful Huda
Ashraful Huda is a former Bangladesh police officer who served as the Inspector General of Police (Bangladesh), Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police during 2004–2005.
Career
Huda served as the principal of Bangladesh Police Academy ...
and Shahudul Haque
Shahudul Haque is a former Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police during 2003–2004. Earlier, he was an Army officer who later join Bangladesh Police.
Career Dismissal
In August 2003, AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, an additional jud ...
were sentenced to two years in jail.[ For the charges of harbouring and protecting the offenders, ]Saiful Islam Duke
Saiful Islam Duke is a retired Lieutenant Commander of Bangladesh Navy. He is the nephew of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Career
Duke was a retired Lieutenant Commander of Bangladesh Navy. He worked as the Personal Secretary to Prime Minis ...
, Saiful Islam Joarder
Saiful Islam Joarder is a former Bangladeshi Army officer later who became fugitive due to his involvement for help to escape Tajuddin, the prime suspect of 2004 Dhaka grenade attack. He is believed to be in Bangladesh.
Career
Joarder was a Lieut ...
, ATM Amin
ATM Amin is a retired General of the Bangladesh Army. He is a former Director General of Forces Intelligence, and a former Director General of Ansar and VDP. He was forced into retirement in 2009.
Career
As Brigadier General he was director of ...
were given four years in jail.[ For the charge of misleading the investigation and cooking up the "Joj Mia" story, IGP ]Khoda Baksh Chowdhury
Mohammad Khoda Baksh Chowdhury (born 15 August 1952) is a former Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police. He is one of the convicts of the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack case.
Education
Chowdhury graduated from the University of Dhaka in 196 ...
, SP of CID Ruhul Amin, ASPs of CID Abdur Rashid and Munshi Atikur Rahman Munshi Atiqur Rahman is a retired Bangladesh Police officer who served as an Assistant superintendent of police, Assistant Superintendent of Police in the Criminal Investigation Department (Bangladesh), Criminal Investigation Department. He was char ...
were sentenced to two years in prison.[
Total 18 convicts were on the run at the time of the verdict.][
]
References
External links
Blasts hit Bangladesh party rally
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhaka grenade attack
Mass murder in 2004
Terrorist incidents in Bangladesh in 2004
2000s in Dhaka
History of Bangladesh (1971–present)
Terrorist incidents in Bangladesh
Crime in Dhaka
2004 murders in Bangladesh
Terrorism in Bangladesh