Babar acquitted in 10-truck arms haul case

The High Court (HC) has acquitted former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and four others in a case lodged over the high-status 10-truck arms haul in Chattogram.

Earlier, a trial court had sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam-led HC bench handed down the verdict in the case on Tuesday.

The case was registered under the Special Powers Act for the smuggling of firearms.

Babar's lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir said, today’s acquittal order paves the way for releasing Babar from jail 

The same bench, on December 18 last year, acquitted Babar and five others of a case filed under the Arms Act in relation with the 10-truck arms haul. 

The trial court had sentenced them to death in the case.

The arms were seized at the Chattogram Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL) jetty on April 2, 2004, during the tenure of BNP-Jamaat government.

A day after the incident, the cases were filed with Karnaphuli Police Station.

The arms and ammunition haul were 4,930 advanced firearms, 840 rocket launchers, 300 rockets, 27,020 grenades, 2,000 grenade-launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 11.41 million bullets.