HC acquits Babar of arms case charges, scraps 17-year jail sentence

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday acquitted former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar of the charges in an arms case and scrapped his 17-year jail sentence handed over to him by a lower court concerned.

A High Court division bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akter passed the judgment, allowing an appeal filed by the BNP leader against his conviction in the case.

Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir moved the plea before the court for Babar, while Deputy Attorney General Sultana Akter Rubi stood for the state.

Dhaka Metropolitan 9th Special Tribunal on October 30, 2007, convicted and sentenced Babar to 17 years imprisonment in the case filed with the city's Gulshan Police Station. Babar later filed the appeal with the High Court, challenging the lower court judgment.