Former state minister for home affairs and businessman Lutfozzaman Babar & four others who were sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in a case filed over the high-profile 10-truck arms haul in Chattogram were acquitted by The High Court (HC).
Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam delivered the verdict today (14/01/2025). Mohammad Shishir Manir stated that no formal bar remains to release the ex-minister from incarceration. The others acquitted are former DGFI director Maj Gen (Retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, Mohsin Talukdar, Enamul Haque and Nurul Amin.
The court also commuted the death sentences of five convicts to different jail terms. United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) chief Paresh Barua’s death sentence was reduced to 14 years in jail, while the death sentence of Akbar Hossain, Liakat Hossain, Hafizur Rahman and Shahabuddin was commuted to 10 years.
The court also exempted four others including former Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Motiur Rahman Nizami, Dwin Mohammad, former National Security Intelligence director general Abdur Rahim and Hazi Abdus Sobhan as they had died during the trial proceedings.
On April 1, 2004, 10 trucks of arms were seized at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd jetty. 2 cases – 1 under the Arms Act and another under the Special Powers Act – were filed at Karnaphuli police station the following day, naming 50 people as accused in the arms case and 52 in the other.
Liberty News’ political correspondent reports that Lutfozzaman Babar has remained in jail for a long time (since 2007, when the last caretaker government was incumbent). He also stated that it is unclear whether he will return to politics.
LND/SBR
