The High Court on Tuesday acquitted former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and four other life-term convicts in the arms case linked to the 2004 Chattogram 10-truck arms haul, paving the way for Babar鈥檚 release after nearly 18 years in prison.
The state minister of the past Bangladesh Nationalist Party government has been in custody since his arrest by the army-led caretaker government on May 28, 2007, according to Haider Ali, former assistant private secretary of Babar.
While Babar faced 14 cases in total, six have been disposed of, including the two August 21, 2004 grenade attack cases and the arms haul cases.
Eight other cases remain pending, but he is currently on bail in all of them.
Dhaka Division deputy inspector general of prisons Jahangir Kabir told 抖阴精品 that Babar鈥檚 release required withdrawal of production warrants issued by separate courts in two remaining cases filed at Derai Police Station, Sunamganj, and Habiganj, alongside a copy of his acquittal in the Chattogram arms case.
Babar鈥檚 lawyer, Mohammad Shishir Manir, said that his client would soon be released once the High Court鈥檚 short order was issued and it reached to the Dhaka Central Jail through the Chattogram metropolitan sessions鈥� judge court, as no further charges remained against him.
The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akter also commuted the life sentences of five others, including United Liberation Front of Asom leader Paresh Barua, to reduced terms ranging from 10 to 14 years.
The court dismissed appeals for four other life-term convicts.
Among them, former Jamaat-e-Islami amir and industries minister Matiur Rahman Nizami had already been executed for war crimes, while three others 鈥� retired brigadier general Md Abdur Rahim, labour supplier Din Mohammad and trawler owner Haji Md Abdus Sobhan 鈥� died in custody.
Apart from Babar, the other acquitted individuals include former National Security Intelligent and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence director general retired major general Rezzaqul Haider Chowdhury, former additional secretary to the industries ministry Md Nurul Amin, currently in hiding, former Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited managing director Mohsin Uddin Talukder, and former CUFL general manager KM Enamul Haque.
The life terms of former major and NSI deputy director Liaquat Hossain, former NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan, retired wing commander Shahabuddin Ahmad and Chattogram resident Hafizur Rahman Hafiz were commuted to 10 years.
Paresh Barua鈥檚 life imprisonment was reduced to 14 years.
The Chattogram Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 had sentenced the 14 individuals to death on January 30, 2014, under the Special Powers Act 1974, for smuggling 10 truckloads of arms and ammunition.
The tribunal also handed life terms to the same individuals in a separate arms case linked to the smuggling operation.
On December 18, 2024, the High Court acquitted Babar and four others in the smuggling case and commuted Paresh Barua鈥檚 death sentence to life imprisonment.
It also reduced the death sentences of six convicts to 10 years鈥� imprisonment.
The 10-truck arms haul revealed a plot to smuggle a massive cache of weapons and ammunition intended for insurgent groups.
