Aug 21 grenade attack: SC adjourns hearing until May 26

The Supreme Court yesterday adjourned until May 26 the hearing of the leave to appeal petitions filed by the state challenging the High Court verdict that acquitted BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar and all the others convicted in two cases over the August 21, 2004 grenade attack.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the adjournment order after concluding yesterday's proceedings on the matters.

Additional Attorney Generals Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan and Aneek R Haque appeared for the state while a group of lawyers including SM Shahjahan, Mohammad Shishir Manir and Kayser Kamal were present for the accused during the hearing.

On December 1 last year the HC acquitted Tarique, Babar and all the others convicted in two cases over the grenade attack.

The HC also scrapped the lower court verdicts that convicted and sentenced the 49 accused.