Millions of people including the victims of the horrific grenade attack on the peace rally led by then opposition leader, now Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in which dozens of people had been killed and hundreds others were injured, are still in the nightmare of horror, pain and anguish, but the mastermind Tareque Zia remain unreached and untouched.
According to the law enforcing agencies, Tarique Zia, now the main figure of BNP, which has no respect for democracy and the country’s independence, is currently in self-exile in London, had allegedly decided to kill all top leaders of the main opposition Awami League (AL) including Sheikh Hasina, which led the country’s War of Liberation.
The reports revealed that Tarique had ordered to launch the grenade attack as he thought that AL would not be able to come in power if Sheikh Hasina and her senior party leaders were killed.
According to the law enforcing agencies, Tarique Rahman, who is currently in self-exile in London, had decided to kill all top leaders of his political opponent in collaboration with the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).
Tarique Rahman ordered the grenade attack as he thought that AL would not be able to come in power if Sheikh Hasina and her senior party leaders were killed as the party would weaken.
BNP acting chairman conveyed this secret message to the militant leaders that they (militants) would be able to strengthen their activities in Bangladesh and India if Sheikh Hasina and her senior associates were killed.
ISI was directly involved in the gruesome killing. Information reveals that Pakistani nationals Abu Yusuf Butt alias Abdul Majed Butt, a leader of the Pakistan-based militant outfit - Hijbul Mujahidin, which is active in Indian-controlled Kashmir, was involved in delivering the grenades to former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu's brother MaulanaTajuddin.
Majed Butt, who was given a death sentence by the court confessed that the grenades came to Chattogram by a ship from Pakistan. After that, the grenades were sent to Dhaka. Then senior officials of the DGFI had helped MaulanaTajuddin, a top leader of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami.
Meanwhile 19 years have already elapsed since the deadliest grenade attack, yet police have made no headway in tracking down the 16 absconding convicts — three of whom are on Interpol's red notices list.
Ahead of the 19th anniversary of the deadly terror attack, police headquarters sources said 16 convicts were still at large.
Of the 16 convicts, red notices against three -- militant leader Maulana MdTajuddin, former political adviser to the Prime Minister Haris Chowdhury, Ratul Ahmed Babu -- are still at large.
Regular talks are being held with Interpol over reinstating the red notices against Tarique Rahman and Kaikobad, a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.
Police do not have any clear information on the whereabouts of the most of the fugitives.
But officials believe Tajuddin is currently in South Africa or Pakistan, Kaikobad in the Middle East, Hanif in India or Malaysia, former army officials ATM Amin and SaifulJoarder are in the US and Canada, respectively, Ratul in South Africa, and AnisulMursalin alias Mursalin and MohibulMuktakin are in India's Tihar Jail.
The 10 fugitives against whom have not been issued red notices are – retired Lt Col Saiful Islam Joardar, former director of DGFI retired Major General ATM Amin Ahmed, Md Iqbal, MohibulMuktakin, AnisulMorsalin, Mohammed Khalil, MaulanaLiton alias Delwar Hossain alias Zobayer, Jahangir AlamBadar, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman and Mufti Abdul Hai.
The masterminds, including Tarique Rahman, Haris Chowdhury, Lutforzzaman Babar, RezaqulHaider and others carried out one of the most deadly attacks in the history of Bangladesh on August 21 in 2004, a court verdict mentioned.
A special court delivered the verdicts in the two cases filed over the grenade attack on an anti-terrorism rally of Awami League. The court found Tarique, Babar and 36 others guilty in the case filed under the Explosives Substance Act.
Law enforcers are yet to trace out 16 fugitive convicts in the case filed over the deadly grenade attack on an anti-terrorism rally of the then main opposition Bangladesh Awami League, even after 19 years of the carnage.
According to police sources, National Central Bureau (NCB), local wing of the International Criminal Police Organisation INTERPOL, which deals with the issue on behalf of the police headquarters, said they sent several letters to the Criminal Investigation Department for its opinion whether red notices are needed for the 10 ‘totally untraceable fugitive convicts’.
Sources in the Police Headquarters said that CID could not be sure whether the 10 fugitives are hiding in Bangladesh or abroad. “Probably CID still suspects that 10 of the 16 fugitive accused are hiding in the country,” one source said.
Political observers blamed the law enforcers for their ultimate failure in arresting the 10 convicts, who are believed to be hiding inside the country.
On condition of anonymity, a senior police officer concerned told this correspondent that red notices are issued only for the arrest of fugitives who are hiding abroad.
The officer said that CID might have suspected that the 10 convicts are still hiding inside the country, or CID has no specific information about them.