A Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal on June 25, 2026, acquitted eight accused, including Ex-Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, Ex-Sylhet City Mayor and current Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, and Whip G.K. Gaus, in the 2004 Dirai bombing case targeting former minister Suranjit Sengupta’s rally. The court sentenced one accused, Hafiz Naeem Ahmed Arif alias Nimu, to death for his involvement in the attack. The verdict came 22 years after the incident, which killed one person and injured 29.

According to the prosecution, the verdict followed extensive hearings and testimony from 67 of 123 witnesses. The defense claimed the accused were victims of political harassment, asserting their names were not in the original case but added later in a supplementary charge sheet. The convicted man’s family expressed dissatisfaction, alleging he was falsely implicated and announcing plans to appeal.

The 2004 grenade attack occurred during a political rally in Dirai, Sunamganj, where Suranjit Sengupta narrowly escaped harm. The case had undergone multiple investigations and charge revisions before reaching this final judgment.