A Dhaka court yesterday read out charges derived from statements of 225 prosecution witnesses to four of the accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases.

The accused are former inspectors general of police (IGPs) Ashraful Huda and Shahudul Haque, former BNP Dhaka City Corporation Ward Commissioner Ariful Islam Arif and Lt Commander (retd) Saiful Islam Duke, also nephew of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

All the four, now on bail, claimed themselves innocent and demanded justice after Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka asked them about the charges.

The four accused told the court that they would place their written self-defence statements against the charges.  

The tribunal then fixed today for the next hearing of the cases.

Earlier, the same tribunal read out charges to 23 other accused including former state minister for home and BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu.

In the gruesome attacks on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004, twenty-four people including Ivy Rahman, wife of late President Zillur Rahman, were killed and over 200 others were injured.

Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack with ear injury.

Of the 49 accused, eight accused are now on bail, twenty-six in jail while 15 others including BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman have been absconding.