Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday alleged that the August 21 grenade attack on Awami League president Sheikh Hasina's rally in 2004 was carried by the party itself to put the then Khaleda Zia-led government in trouble.

Speaking at a doa and milad mahfil, he also alleged that law enforcers are issuing various threats against those speaking in favour of the Supreme Court's verdict that annulled the 16th amendment, reports news agency UNB.

"Awami League was asked to hold the rally at Muktangan. Why did you hold it in front of your party office? There's something fishy ...the bomb went off, but she (Sheikh Hasina) remained safe," the BNP leader said.

He further said, "We can say your party men did it to embarrass the then BNP-led government and enhance people's sympathy for you."

Jatiyatabadi Ulema Dal arranged the programme at BNP's Nayapaltan central office seeking the early recovery of party chairperson Khaleda Zia who underwent a surgery in her right eye in London recently.

On August 21, 2004, 24 leaders and activists of AWami League and its associate bodies were killed as at least 13 grenades were thrown from the rooftops of a nearby building soon after Sheikh Hasina had finished her speech at the rally.

Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack, but she had lost her hearing ability due to the impact of the repeated grenade blasts near the truck-dais of the huge public rally.

Describing the incident as planned one by Awami league, Rizvi said it was executed by the party's well-wishers.

He said the main target behind the incident was to dent the image of BNP, Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. "Their evil design exposed as the party soon after assuming power implicated Tarique Rahman with the case through a supplementary chargesheet."

The BNP leader said similar attacks are taken place at different parts of the country, but no one is blaming the government for those. "We can now say Awami League is involved in Pilkhana BDR carnage as it took place soon after the party came to power."

About the 16th amendment verdict, he said the government let loose its different forces against those who are talking in favour of the verdict. "And these forces are giving them threats."