National
Nation Grieves 19th Anniversary of Dreadful August 21 Grenade Attack
The nation solemnly commemorates the 19th anniversary of the horrific August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka, standing united against such acts of terror through a series of planned activities.
On this day in 2004, a brutal grenade assault targeted an anti-terrorism rally organized by the Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue. The then-leader of the opposition and current Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, appeared to be the intended victim during the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
The attack resulted in the tragic loss of at least 24 lives, including Ivy Rahman, Awami League’s women affairs secretary and the late President Zillur Rahman’s wife. Additionally, around 300 individuals sustained injuries, while Sheikh Hasina survived with impaired hearing.
After fourteen years, a Dhaka court rendered verdicts in the grenade attack case, sentencing 19 individuals, including Lutfozzaman Babar, the state minister for home affairs under the then BNP government, to death. Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and the party’s acting chairman, along with 18 others, were handed life sentences for their roles in the attack.
In observance of this day, the Awami League and its affiliated groups have organized comprehensive programs across the nation. A wreath-laying ceremony will pay homage to the martyrs of the grenade attack, taking place at the memorial erected in front of the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue office in Dhaka at 11 am. Subsequently, a commemorative discussion will commence at 11:15 am, presided over by Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Simultaneously, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has called upon leaders, activists, supporters, and well-wishers at all levels to join the country in observing the Grenade Attack Day on August 21.
The grenade attack claimed the lives of notable individuals such as Lance Corporal (retd) Mahbubur Rashid, personal security guard to the then-opposition leader, and several others, leaving an indelible impact. Injuries were also sustained by prominent figures like Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, and many more.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
