The protection team assigned by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police did nothing when grenades were lobbed on the Awami League rally in 2004 rather they charged baton on those who were trying to attend the victims, according to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In her statement, recorded by the investigators in November 2007, the Awami League chief said that the police lobbed tear gas as well fired shots at the vehicle carrying her from the scene.
“When my jeep (SUV) was approaching to the Zero Point intersection through the outer stadium’s Eastside Road from Bangabandhu Avenue, police hurled teargas canisters and fired shots at my vehicle in a clear attempt to stop us,” it reads.
Hasina was the chief speaker at the Awami League rally which was organised in protest of terrorism on Aug 21, 2004. As she was stepping off the truck, which was used as a dais, assailants hurled several grenades into the rally.
The then-opposition leader, Hasina barely escaped the attack but 24 people were killed and over 500 others injured.
Many others lost their limbs and sustained permanent physical injuries.
Among those killed in the blasts was Bangladesh Mohila Awami League President Ivy Rahman, the wife of senior Awami League leader Zillur Rahman, who was later elected president. The attack left Hasina with hearing problems.
On that day, Awami League activists shielded their leader from the grenades. It was later revealed later that the Hasina, who was the leader of the opposition at the time, was the prime target of the attack.
According to investigators, 13 to 14 grenades were detonated that day.
More than three years later, on Nov 22, 2007, CID Assistant Superintendent Fazlul Kabir recorded Hasina’s statement at the sub-jail, where the then military-installed caretaker administration kept her after she was arrested on graft charges.
In the statement, Hasina said that the anti-terrorism rally was organised in protest to the Sylhet grenade attack on the then-British envoy and the killing of students in Gopalganj.
“A few days ahead, we sought the authorities’ clearance for holding the rally at the Muktomonch ground. On the morning of Aug 20, it was decided that it will be held in front of the party office in Bangabandhu Avenue as the authorities did not respond,” reads the statement.
At 4:30pm the next day, Hasina’s motorcade left her Dhanmondi residence ‘Shudha Sadan’ for the venue.
“After arriving at Bangabandhu Avenue, I got on the truck, which was used as the dais. There was a wooden table on it. The east-facing truck was parked some 15 to 20 yards away from the party office. I stood behind the table and addressed the rally facing southeast,” she said in the statement.
Around 5.22pm, Hasina approached to step off from the truck.
“When I was about to get off photojournalist Gorky (SM Gorky) said, ‘I didn’t get a picture’. So I stopped, when an explosion was heard, probably from the Southwest. Sensing danger, all of us who were on the truck, ducked on the ground amid a few successive blasts,” she said in her statement before adding that the party leaders immediately formed a human shield to save her.
When the explosions appeared to have been stopped, party leaders tried to huddle Hasina to her bulletproof sports utility vehicle (SUV), commonly known as jeep in Bangladesh.
“But as soon as we tried to go to the jeep, explosions started again. I was dragged back near the truck again and the leaders once against formed a human shield around me,” reads the statement recorded by the investigator.
Awami League leaders and her security personnel, however, managed to huddle her into the vehicle and drove her away through thick smokes.
“Around 6pm, we reached Sudha Sadan. Awami League leaders, Abdul Jalil, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Sheikh Selim, Abdur Razzak, Mohammad Hanif, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Suranjit Sengupta, Kazi Zafrulla, Zillur Rahman, Amir Hossain Amu were among those who were on the truck. We later came to know that grenades were exploded,” the prime minister said in the statement.
The attack left 22 people, including Mohila Awami League chief Ivy Rahman, killed and hundreds others injured, many of whom lost their limbs and sustained permanent physical injuries, Hasina told the investigator.
“I have suffered a permanent hearing loss in my right year… apart from the 22 identified dead victims, two unidentified people died in the attack. Usually Awami League volunteers are deployed on the rooftops of nearby buildings before the rally, but on Aug 24, 2004 they were prevented (by the authorities),” the statement quoted her saying.
Hasina told the investigator that as she was being wheeled away from the scene, police fired tear gas shells as well as fired from shotguns in an attempt to stop her vehicle.
“I heard shots were being fired, while getting into the car, but could not understand who opened fire or where it was coming from. The Special Branch protection fired shots during the incident, but the DMP (Dhaka metro police) protection team did nothing. Instead of helping the victims, they charged baton on those who were attending them,” reads the statement.