Bangladesh’s High Court on Sunday overturned the 2018 conviction of Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in connection with a deadly grenade attack at a 2004 political rally. The decision acquits Rahman and 48 others, marking a major legal and political shift amid the country’s ongoing political unrest.
The grenade attack targeted a rally held by Sheikh Hasina, then opposition leader and now Bangladesh’s exiled prime minister, killing 24 people and injuring around 300. The 2018 verdict sentenced Rahman to life imprisonment and condemned 19 others to death, sparking accusations from Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of politically motivated prosecutions.
A two-member High Court judge panel declared the trial and verdict “illegal” on Sunday, defense lawyer Shishir Monir confirmed. “As a result, all defendants have been acquitted,” he said.
Rahman, currently in self-exile in London, serves as acting chairperson of the BNP. If his party secures victory in the next election, Rahman could emerge as Bangladesh’s next leader. The High Court ruling comes as the nation grapples with political instability following Sheikh Hasina’s flight to India in August during a mass uprising that left hundreds dead.
Hasina’s Awami League party condemned the acquittals, stating in a social media post that the court ruling wasn’t “Yunus’ Kangaroo court” and vowed that “the people of Bangladesh will hold the attackers accountable.” Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, who leads the interim government, has struggled to maintain order amid mob violence and allegations of systemic targeting of minority groups, including Hindus.
The interim government, which has yet to announce a timeline for the next elections, faces pressure from the BNP to hold polls soon. The Jamaat-e-Islami party, a former coalition partner of the BNP, has urged Yunus to enact reforms before any elections are held.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina faces charges of crimes against humanity related to deaths during the summer’s student-led protests. The interim government has sought Interpol’s assistance to secure Hasina’s extradition from India, though it remains unclear whether Indian authorities will comply with such a request.
The attorney general’s office has the option to appeal the acquittals to the Supreme Court, leaving open the possibility of further legal battles as Bangladesh’s political future hangs in the balance.
