The Appellate Division on Thursday adjourned until July 24 the hearing of the appeal challenging the High Court order that had acquitted all accused  including BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar in the 21st August grenade attack case.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order.

Deputy Attorney General Barrister Abdullah Al Mahmud Masud read out the paper book during the hearing.

Senior Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and six others stood for the petitioner.

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Earlier, the Appellate Division fixed Thursday for hearing the petition.

On June 1, the Appellate Division approved the leave-to-appeal petition filed by the state challenging the High Court order in the case.

On March 19, the state filed an appeal petition challenging the High Court order in the case.

On December 1 last year, the High Court acquitted Tarique Rahman and Lutfozzaman Babar along with other accused in the case.

On October 10, 2018, a Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced 19 accused, including Lutfozzaman Babar and former deputy education minister Abdus Salam Pintu, to death.

Besides, 19 others including Tarique Rahman were handed life term imprisonment while 11 accused received various terms of imprisonment and fines.

The grenade attack was carried out on August 21, 2004 in Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Avenue that left 24 people dead and nearly 300 others injured.

Two cases -- one for murder and another for explosives –were filed with Motijheel Police Station.