Dhaka: The prosecution in its arguments in the sensational August 21, 2004, grenade attack case, on Tuesday referred 13 confessional statements given by 12 accused in different times accepting their connections with the barbaric incident.

Chief prosecutor in the case Syed Rezaur Rahman referred the statements in his arguments which he placed for the seventh day.

After hearing, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka 1^st speedy trial tribunal adjourned it till tomorrow.

‘A total of 12 accused have given confessional statement under section 164. Of those accused, HuJI leader Mufti Abdul Hannan had given two confessional statements,’ Rahman said in his today’s arguments.

‘The total number of accused in the case is 52. Of these accused, eight are on bail, 18 are yet to be arrested. Names of three accused Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, HuJI leader Mufti Hannan and his associate Sharif Saidul Alam Bipul have been dropped from the case as they have been executed already in different cases,’ the chief prosecutor added.

A total of 225 prosecution witnesses testified in the case while 20 witnesses were produced by the defence.

The attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally of Awami League in capital’s Bangabandhu Avenue aimed at killing the front ranking leaders including its President Sheikh Hasina to eliminate the party leaderships.

A total of 24 AL leaders and workers including the then Mohila Awami League President and wife of late President Zillur Rahman, Ivy Rahman, were killed and 500 others were injured.