DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh’s High Court on Sunday acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, and 48 others, overturning their verdicts in a lethal 2004 grenade assault on a political rally.
The ruling comes at a crucial time because the South Asian nation suffers political pressure after longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the nation to India in August following a mass rebellion that left a whole bunch useless. Rahman serves because the appearing chairperson of Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party whereas in self-exile in London, and he might grow to be Bangladesh’s subsequent chief if his get together is voted into energy.
Rahman and the 48 others have been discovered responsible in 2018 within the assault concentrating on a rally held by supporters of Hasina, who led the opposition on the time, leaving two dozen individuals useless and wounding about 300 others. A court docket sentenced 19 of them to dying whereas Rahman bought life in jail, with Zia’s get together accusing the ruling of being politically motivated.
A two-member choose panel on Sunday scrapped all the 2018 ruling for all 49 males, following an attraction lodged by the defendants. Shishir Monir, a protection lawyer, informed reporters the court docket had declared the trial and verdict “unlawful.”
“As a outcome, all defendants have been acquitted,” he mentioned.
Zia, who dominated the nation as prime minister from 2001 to 2006, and Hasina are the nation’s strongest politicians and longtime rivals.
Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus has been the nation’s interim chief since Hasina left, however authorities have been struggling to implement order amid mob justice, chaos and claims of systematic concentrating on of minority teams, notably Hindus, which Yunus mentioned are “exaggerated.”
Hasina’s Awami League get together blasted the court docket ruling in a Facebook submit on Sunday, saying it wasn’t “Yunus’ Kangaroo court docket” and that the individuals of Bangladesh could be those making an attempt these accountable for the assaults.
Zia’s get together welcomed Sunday’s ruling.
The legal professional normal’s workplace can attraction the ruling within the Supreme Court.
The Yunus-led authorities has not declared any timeframe for the subsequent election, however Rahman and his get together need the brand new election someday quickly. Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami get together, which shared energy with Zia’s get together from 2001 to 2006 with vital portfolios within the cupboard, mentioned it needs to permit the Yunus-led authorities to remain in energy to usher in reforms in numerous sectors earlier than a brand new election.
Hasina faces expenses of crimes in opposition to humanity for deaths through the summer season’s student-led rebellion. The interim authorities has sought assist from Interpol to arrest Hasina. It shouldn’t be clear whether or not India will reply to any request from Bangladesh for Hasina’s extradition below a mutual treaty.