Bangladesh PM Hasina accuses BNP of being behind 2014 grenade attack

Dhaka: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused the former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-Jamaat government of perpetrating a grenade attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2014.

Speaking at the rally yesterday marking anniversary of the gruesome grenade attack, Hasina said the incident jolted the world`s conscience but the conscience of the BNP leader or the party was not stirred. "We were not allowed to utter a single word or discuss the matter in parliament. We were even barred from bringing any motion in Jatiya Sangsad to condemn the attack," the Daily Star quoted Hasina, as saying.

In a veiled attack on the BNP leaders, Hasina, who narrowly escaped the attack, said it is clear who were involved in that incident and that there is no need to prove it. "Begum Zia had said I [Hasina] would never be the prime minister or even the leader of the opposition in future, while her elder son [Tarique] stayed at his father-in-law`s home in Dhanmondi for eight to 10 months consecutively," she said.

"It seemed from the comments of the BNP leader and her party men that they wanted to remove me from this world," Hasina added.She also placed wreaths at a makeshift memorial for martyrs of the gruesome grenade attack which was set up by Awami League in front of its Bangabandhu Avenue central office where militants had lobbed 13 grenades.

Twenty-four leaders and workers of party and its associate bodies were killed and over 500 others suffered injuries in the attack.Though Hasina narrowly escaped the attack, she lost her hearing ability.