Dhaka: Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday said BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman should have been awarded death penalty as he is the mastermind of August 21 grenade attack incident.

‘We’re happy with the verdicts, but the mastermind of the incident was Tarique Rahman...he should’ve been awarded death sentence,’ he said.

The minister came up with the remarks while talking to reporters at the secretariat after the pronouncement of verdicts in the two cases, reports the UNB.

He, however, said the government will decide whether it will file any petition with the High Court seeking death sentence for Tarique Rahman, Harris Chowdhury and Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad once the full text of the verdict is available.

Anisul said he came to know that 49 people, out of 52 accused, were sentenced to different jail terms, while 19 death sentence and 19 life-term imprisonment.

‘We’ll try to bring back all those convicted in the cases but staying abroad as we’re also trying to bring back the convicts of Bangabandhu murder case,’ Anisul added.

Earlier in the morning, a speedy trial tribunal sentenced 19 people, including former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar and former Deputy Minister for Education Abdus Salam Pintu, to death while 19 others, including BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, to life-term imprisonment in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.