Citing testimonies of Joj Mia, who was framed during the BNP-Jamaat led government to cover up their role in the gruesome August 21, 2004 grenade attack, Sajeeb Wazed, ICT affairs advisor to the PM, reminded all of the “state patronage provided to militants” and the “cabal of BNP leaders led by Tarique Rahman” behind the blast. Sajeeb Wazed posted a video on Twitter with the title: “How Tarique Rahman, BNP Hired & Unleashed Militants for 21st August Grenade Attack & Later Framed a Youth, named Joj Mia.” Known as a “Hawa Bhaban plot,” the carnage descended on an AL rally in 2004, when militants hurled grenades leaving at least 24 dead with then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaping death with ear injuries. Why Joj Mia should not be given adequate compensation: HC Hawa Bhaban was featured heavily in media reports as an “alternative powerhouse operated by Tarique” with access limited to his group of confidants including politicians, government officials, militants and businessmen, between 2001 and 2006. It was a well-orchestrated plan, executed through abuse of state power, a special court had ruled, delivering verdicts in the two cases filed over the grenade attack. According to the verdict, in the run up to the grenade attack, Tarique met militants, now serving sentences, and endorsed the plot that mainly targeted Sheikh Hasina “to make the Awami League leaderless.” But after the attack, a cover-up drama was concocted by then BNP-Jamaat led government that saw a youth presented before the press by law enforcement only to be unraveled by media investigations, the video posted by Sajeeb Wazed says.  Writ petition filed seeking Tk 10 crore as compensation for Joj Mia The video also contains confession of the dreaded militant leader Abdul Hannan who led the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islam Bangladesh (Huji) that was found responsible for the attack, in which the convicted militant admitted to conspiring with BNP’s top brass in regards to the mission to “eliminate Sheikh Hasina.” The video provides flashbacks of the ordeals of Joj Mia and BNP-Jamaat’s “blatant patronage to militants to decimate Awami League and progressive groups.” August 21 attack: Legal notice served seeking Tk 10 crore as compensation for Joj Mia The video also contains interviews of senior journalists who unraveled the sham. BNP-Jamaat coalition’s last tenure had been described by Bertil Lintner as a “cocoon of terror" [Far Eastern Economic Review, Apr 4, 2002] and Eliza Griswold predicted an “Afghan style Islamist revolution” [The New York Times Magazine, Jan 23, 2005].

The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned why adequate compensation should not be given to Md Jalal alias Joj Mia who was wrongfully tried in August 21 grenade attack case and spent five years in jail without committing any crime. The court also questioned why his wrongful arrest, arrest warrant and imprisonment will not be declared illegal. The HC bench of Justice Mozibur Rahman Mia and Justice Kazi Ejarul Haque Akondo issued the rule during a hearing on a writ petition filed seeking Tk 10 crore as compensation for Joj Mia. Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Arobinda Kumar Roy represented the state during the hearing. On September 12, Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Humayun Kabir Pallab filed the writ petition with the High Court. The petition also sought formation of a committee headed by a retired judge of the Appellate Division to identify those who had tried Joj Mia in a false case. Home Secretary, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka district, Officer In-charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station, OC of Senbag Police Station of Noakhali, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police, ex-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, ex-Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abdur Rashid, ex-ASP Munshi Atiqur Rahman and ex-Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Ruhul Amin have been made respondents to the writ. The petition said that Joj Mia can be compensated by confiscating the wealth of those responsible for the August 21 grenade attack, including then Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, ex-IGP Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, ex-ASP Abdur Rashid, Munshi Atiqur Rahman and ex SP Md Ruhul Amin. On August 11, a legal notice was served against 11 people asking for compensating Joj Mia. The notice had asked the respondents to take steps in this regard within 15 days of receiving the notice. At least 24 leaders and activists of the Awami League (AL) were killed and many injured in a grenade attack that was launched at an AL rally at the capital’s Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. On June 9, 2005, Joj Mia was detained from as a suspect from Noakhali’s Senbag upazila and taken into a 17-day police remand. During the remand period, CID collected a false confession from Joj Mia, in which he said that he had taken part in the grenade attack in exchange of Tk 5000 following the orders of his big brothers. In 2007, an interim government decided to reinvestigate the Joj Mia case. On June 11, 2008, CID completed the fresh investigation and produced the charge sheet of the case, in which Joj Mia was proven not guilty.

A writ petition has been filed before the High Court (HC) asking Tk 10 crore as compensation for Joj Mia who was wrongfully tried in August 21 grenade attack case and spent five years in jail without committing any crime. Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Humayun Kabir Pallab filed the petition before the bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Riaz Uddin Khan on Monday. The petition has also sought formation of a committee headed by a retired judge of the Appellate Division to identify those who had tried Joj Mia in a false case. Home Secretary, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka district, Officer In-charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station, OC of Senbag Police Station of Noakhali, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police, ex-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, ex-Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abdur Rashid, ex-ASP Munshi Atiqur Rahman and ex-Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Ruhul Amin have been made respondents to the writ.     The petition said that Joj Mia can be compensated by confiscating the wealth of those responsible for the August 21 grenade attack, including the then Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, ex-IGP Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, ex-ASP Abdur Rashid, Munshi Atiqur Rahman and ex SP Md Ruhul Amin. On August 11, a legal notice was served against 11 people asking for compensating Joj Mia. The notice had asked the respondents to take steps in this regard within 15 days of receiving the notice. Read: August 21 attack: Legal notice served seeking Tk 10 crore as compensation for Joj Mia The two Supreme Court lawyers who had issued the legal notice had said they would move to the High Court with a writ petition for necessary legal action in this regard if they did not receive any response. Today’s writ petition is a continuation of this legal process to ensure compensation for Joj Mia. At least 24 leaders and activists of the Awami League (AL) were killed and many injured in a grenade attack that was launched at an AL rally at the capital’s Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. On June 9, 2005, Joj Mia was detained from as a suspect from Noakhali’s Senbag upazila and taken into a 17-day police remand. During the remand period, CID collected a false confession from Joj Mia, in which he said that he had taken part in the grenade attack in exchange of Tk 5000 following the orders of his big brothers. The attack occurred during the rule of then-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.   In 2007, an interim government decided to reinvestigate the Joj Mia case. On June 11, 2008, CID completed the fresh investigation and produced the charge sheet of the case, in which Joj Mia was proven not guilty. 

A legal notice  has been served to 11 people seeking Tk 10 crore compensation for Joj Mia who served four years jail term  without committing any crime in August 21 grenade attack case. Supreme Court lawyers Mohammad Humayun Kabir and Mohammad Kausar sent the notice on behalf of Joj Mia on Thursday through registered post saying it has violated his fundamental rights. Then home affairs state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, then home affairs secretary, then IGP Md Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, former Assistant Superintendent of Police and investigation officer of the case Abdur Rashid, Munshi Atiqur Rahman, former special superintendent of police Md Ruhul Amin, were among the recipients of the notice, they said. Also read: AL pays homage to August 21 martyrs The notice also sought formation of an investigation committee to identify the involvement of government officials in illegally jailing Joj Mia. It asked to collect the compensation money from the officials concerned if they found guilty. The notice has asked to respond after taking steps in this regard within 15 days of receiving the notice. The two SC lawyers said they will move to High Court with a writ petition for necessary legal action in this regard if they do not respond. Also read: Aug 21 grenade attack case appeal hearing to start this year: Minister