Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said that BNP believes in politics of murder and as long as they prevail in the political arena, the field of politics will not be free from stigmas.

“The August 21 incident was committed by Tarique Rahman with the consent of Begum Khaleda Zia and the August 15 incident was occurred by Ziaur Rahman. As long as they are in the field of politics, the field will not be free from stigmas, hatred and conflict-politics will never go away,” he said.

The minister said this while talking to reporters about 19 years of the deadly grenade attack on an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on August 21, 2004.

The broadcasting minister said the grenade attack was carried out with the intention of killing the people's leader Sheikh Hasina and making the Awami League leaderless.

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Hasan Mahmud claimed, “The grenades found there usually used on the battlefield by the army. These grenades were not supposed to be in the possession of terrorists. These have been provided by the government.”

Read: Zia was behind August 15 killings, Tarique behind August 21: Hasan Mahmud

Mentioning that an army officer was suspended due to keep a grenade as evidence, the minister said, “All other evidences were destroyed, the site of the attack was washed with water.”

“Despite sustaining injuries, by the grace of God, Sheikh Hasina luckily survived. Awami League leaders and activists built human-shield around Bangabandhu's daughter. Twenty-two Awami League leaders and activists were killed and more than 500 injured on that day,” he added.