Former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar has been acquitted in the highly publicized 10-truck arms smuggling case. He had previously been acquitted in a related smuggling case. With this latest ruling, there are no further obstacles to his release. On Tuesday (January 14), the High Court bench, consisting of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akhter, delivered the verdict after reviewing the death reference and appeals filed by the defendants.
Babar has spent nearly 17 years in prison, during which he received medical treatment multiple times due to health issues. Public interest remains high regarding his release from prison. Senior Jail Superintendent Suraiya Akter of Dhaka Central Jail commented that they are receiving the necessary release documents gradually. While not all documents have arrived yet, Babar may be released today if they do. Along with Babar, eight other individuals were acquitted in the arms law case, while five others, including ULFA leader Paresh Baruah, were sentenced to various prison terms. In court, lawyer Shishir Monir filed an appeal for Babar's acquittal, with Deputy Attorney General Sultana Akter Ruby and Assistant Attorney General Md. Asif Imran Jisan representing the state. Senior lawyer SM Shahjahan defended the other five defendants.
On December 18, the High Court had acquitted six defendants, including Babar, Mohsin Talukder, Enamul Haque, and Razzakul Haidar, in the notorious 10-truck arms smuggling case in Chittagong. The hearings on the death reference and appeals began on November 6 in the case. The case stems from an incident on April 1, 2004, when 10 truckloads of arms were seized at the CUFL Jetty in Chittagong. Two cases were filed under the Arms Act and the Special Powers Act for smuggling at Karnaphuli police station in the port city. On January 30, 2014, the Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court and Special Tribunal-1 sentenced several individuals, including Babar, former Industries Minister Matiur Rahman Nizami, and ULFA military commander Paresh Baruah, to death for their roles in the arms smuggling. In another case under the Arms Act, the same defendants were given life imprisonment sentences.
