The entire nation on Monday recalled the horrific memories of August 21 grenade attacks in 2004 and called for the punishment of the perpetrators for the heinous acts.
The nation also urged for a speedy implementation of the court verdict to ensure punishment of the killers and their mastermind Tarique Rahman, BNP's acting chairman, now in exile in London to avert punishment.
They made the calls at a programme held to observe the 19th anniversary of the heinous grenade attacks on a peaceful rally of the then opposition party Bangladesh Awami League at the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue.
During the programmes, they paid tributes to the martyrs of incident and showed honour and respect to the victims who survived but still bearing the horrific memories and the pains from multiple grenade splinter injuries.
It is widely known that the then opposition leader in the parliament, Sheikh Hasina, who is the elder daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and now the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was the main target.
Hasina fortunately survived with a few wounds although at least 24 other leaders and activists of the party were killed and over 500 sustained injuries in the repeated grenade attacks carried out within a span of a few minutes.
After 14 years of the gruesome attacks, the court delivered the verdict with capital punishment to 19, among a total of 52 accused, while 19 others, including the mastermind Tarique Rahman, were awarded with lifetime imprisonment and the rest were also awarded jails in different terms.
According to the court verdict, militants carried out the grenade attacks targeting Sheikh Hasina as per the directives of Tarique Rahman while the then state machinery helped the attackers to make their attempts successful. Not only that the then state machinery let many of the killers flee the country.
According to witnesses, alongside the ruling Awami League and all of its affiliated and associate bodies, different left leaning political parties and various socio-cultural organisations also organized different programmes in memory of the heinous grenade attacks in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.
As part of the observance of the 19th anniversary of the grenade attack, discussion meetings, human chains and processions were held where the activists demanded immediate implementation of the court verdict and also denounced BNP-Jamaat alliance for their role in the attacks.
Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina first paid rich tribute to the martyrs of the grenade attack by placing floral wreaths at the altar set up in memory of the martyrs of the grenade attack in front of Awami League central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.
After paying tribute, the Prime Minister observed a moment of silence in memory of the martyrs.
Later, the premier along with other central leaders including the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader paid tribute to the martyrs on behalf of Awami League.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also exchanged greetings with party leaders and those injured in the August 21st grenade attack.
The Prime Minister also attended a discussion meeting organized to protest the attack and commemorate the victims.
After the discussion, alter in memory of the martyrs of August 21 was kept open for all when the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the venue.
Then leaders from different political parties and the leaders of ruling Awami League and its different associate bodies also paid tribute.
Leaders from different political parties were crowded in front of the AL's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city this morning for paying rich tribute to the martyrs of the grenade attack on August 21 in 2004.
Tributes also were paid to the martyrs on behalf of the 14-parties. The 19th anniversary of the attack is being observed every year through different programmes.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) led by its Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh also paid tribute to the deceased of the grenade attack.
A total of 24 people including Awami League's women Affairs secretary Ivy Rahman were killed at a rally organized by the ruling party at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city on that day.
The injured persons and family members of the grenade attack victims along with different political parties including Dhaka city South and North units of Awami League, Krishak League, Sramik League, Jubo League, Chattro League, Tanti League, Mahila Awami League, Matshyajibi League, Swechasebok League, Jubo League north and south city units, Dhaka district Awami League , Bangabandhu Parishad, Dhaka district Swechasebok League, Bangabandhu Sangskrit Jote, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Mayor Mohammad Hanif Memorial Foundation, Muktijoddah Projonmo League and Bangabandhu Gobeshona Parishad, among others, also paid respect to the martyrs by placing floral wreaths
