DHAKA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A special court in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has set Oct. 10 to deliver the verdict in two cases of grenade attacks in 2004 that killed at least 24 people.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 on Tuesday set the date to deliver judgement in the cases on conclusion of the arguments.
The prosecution in its closing arguments again on Tuesday sought highest punishment to the offenders who were involved with committing the horrendous attack.
Twenty-four people including ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party leader Ivy Rahman, wife of the country's ex-President Mohammad Zillur Rahman, were killed in the grenade attacks targeting now-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her rally in Dhaka on Aug. 21, 2004, when Khaleda Zia, chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was the prime minister of Bangladesh.
Hundreds of people were wounded, including the then opposition party leader and AL President Hasina, the then opposition leader in parliament, who suffered minor injuries.
The attacks are believed to have been carried out by an outlawed Islamist group -- Harkat-ul Jihad al Islami (HuJI).
Some 49 people, including two members of Khaleda's 2001-6 cabinet and a HuJI leader, were accused in two separate cases over the blasts.
Of the accused, 31 including two Zia cabinet members and three former inspectors general of police are in jail and 18 others including Zia's son Tarique Rahman, who has been currently staying in Britain, are on the run.
Prime Minister Hasina on many occasions held Zia, her party and her son Rahman responsible for the much talked about August 21 grenade attack.
Zia, who is serving a five-year jail term in a corruption case, said political vendettas are to blame in her son's prosecutions during Hasina's incumbent government against her opposition party.
