Today is August 21. On this day in 2004, the worst brutal attack in history took place at the rally organized by Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital before the ‘anti-terror’ rally. The assassins rained grenades on the rally stage. Along with this, there is also firing.
In that incident on that day, 24 people were killed, including Ivy Rahman, the wife of the late President Zillur Rahman and the then secretary of women’s affairs of Awami League. Others killed are Security Guard Lance Corporal (Retd) Mahbubur Rashid, Abul Kalam Azad, Regina Begum, Nasir Uddin Sardar, Atiq Sarkar, Abdul Quddus Patwari, Aminul Islam Moazzem, Belal Hossain, Mamun Mridha, Ratan Shikder, Liton Munshi, Hasina Mumtaz. Rina, Sufia Begum, Rafiqul Islam (Ginger uncle), Mushtaq Ahmed Sentu, Mohammad Hanif, Abul Kashem, Zaheed Ali, Momen Ali, M Shamsuddin and Ishaq Mia among others.
At least five hundred people including Awami League activists, journalists, pedestrians were injured in this incident. Many of whom are permanently crippled. Sheikh Hasina survived the ‘human shield’ made by activists but her hearing was damaged. Awami League leaders alleged that the heinous attack was carried out with the intention of killing top national leaders including Sheikh Hasina in order to eliminate the leadership of their party.