Bangladesh High Court Acquits All Convicted in 2004 Grenade Attack on Sheikh Hasina Rally

The court ruled the original trial and verdict were illegal, overturning convictions for 49 individuals, including opposition leader Tarique Rahman.

The High Court of Bangladesh annulled the 2018 trial court verdict, acquitting all 49 individuals convicted in the 2004 grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina's political rally.
Among those acquitted is Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia and resides in self-exile in London.
The court found procedural flaws in the original trial, including forced confessions and insufficient evidence linking the accused to the attack that killed 24 people and injured nearly 300.
Sheikh Hasina narrowly survived the attack, which occurred during her tenure as opposition leader, but she fled Bangladesh in August 2024 after being ousted in a student-led uprising.
The ruling has intensified political tensions in Bangladesh, with Hasina's Awami League criticizing the decision and Rahman's party welcoming it as a step toward justice.