The nation is set to observe the 17th anniversary of the savage August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally - held up as a pivotal moment in Bangladesh's political history - with a heavy heart amid various programmes on Saturday .

Awami League and its associate bodies will observe the day as the 'Grenade Attack Day' with elaborate programmes, including discussions.

Read: Nation to observe Aug 21 grenade attack anniversary

Besides, partners of the Awami League-led 14-party alliances socio-cultural and professional organisations have taken different programmes to observe the day across the country.

On this day in 2004, the grisly grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally arranged by Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue here during the BNP-Jamaat alliance rule. The aim reportedly was to eliminate then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina. And they came mighty close.

At least 24 leaders and activists, including Awami League women affairs secretary and late President Zillur Rahman’s wife Ivy Rahman, were killed and 300 others injured in the grenade attack. However, Sheikh Hasina fortunately escaped the attack unhurt but her hearing was affected badly.

Nearly 14 years after the gruesome grenade attack, a Dhaka court in October 2018 sentenced 19 people, including the then BNP-led government’s state minister for home affairs, Lutfozzaman Babar, to death.

Tarique Rahman, exiled eldest son of jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and the party's current acting chairman, and 18 others were also sentenced to life in prison in the case.

Read:Nation observing Aug 21 grenade attack anniversary

On this occasion, Awami League and its associated bodies will place wreaths at a makeshift altar in front of the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the morning.

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President of the nation Abdul Hamid will issue separate messages commemorating the martyrs of the day.

Besides, an art summit titled  ‘AUGUST REPEATED ATTEMPTS’ will take place on the premises of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy from Aug 21-23.

The summit would be inaugurated on Saturday at 5 pm.