[Bangla Daily Star] A Dhaka court yesterday cancelled bails of two Harkatul Jihad (Huji) members, granted earlier by another court, in one of the two August 21 grenade attack cases on grounds that the charges brought against them were heinous and unpardonable.Meantime, another Dhaka court yesterday fixed October 4 for hearing on the government petition seeking cancellation of bails granted to two Huji members in the other case.
The Huji members are Munshi Mohibullah alias Mohibur Rahman, brother of Huji Chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, and Arif Hasan Sumon, who obtained bail from a speedy trial tribunal.
Metropolitan Sessions Judge ANM Bashir Ullah issued the cancellation order after an hour-long hearing in presence of the two Huji members.
In the order, the judge said the charges brought against the Huji members were heinous. They along with the other accused killed 23 people including Awami League leader Ivy Rahman, wife of President Zillur Rahman, and injured many others by blasting grenades at an AL rally.
They had an intention to assassinate AL President Sheikh Hasina to create a void in the party and there was no alternative to cancellation of their bails granted earlier, the judge said.
On August 12 this year, Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Masdar Hossain granted them bail saying they were not directly involved in the incident.
The prosecution on August 17 submitted petitions seeking cancellation of the bails.
Earlier, the same court on August 3 ordered a further probe into the cases after the prosecution submitted petitions seeking fresh investigation.
Twenty-three people were killed and 300 others injured in the grenade attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.
Two cases -- one for murder and the other for blasting grenades at the rally -- were filed following the incident.
On June 11 last year, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 22 people including Mufti Abdul Hannan, and former deputy minister and BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu.
CID arrested Hannan, Pintu and 12 others who are in jail custody now.
Pintu's brother Moulana Tajuddin and seven others have been absconding since the cases were filed.
The murder case is pending with Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka.