Lutfozzaman Babar, a BNP leader and former state minister for home affairs, has been acquitted in another case related to the much-publicised seizure of ten truckloads of arms.
According to his legal representatives, there are no further obstacles to his release from prison.
On Tuesday (14 January) afternoon, the High Court began delivering its verdict following hearings on the death reference and appeals related to the arms smuggling case in Chattogram.
The verdict was delivered by a High Court bench composed of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akhter.
Hearings on the death reference and appeals in this high-profile case commenced on 6 November.
The prosecution presented the necessary documents before submitting their arguments, followed by the defence’s submissions.
After hearing both sides, the High Court pronounced its judgement.
In one of the two cases involving the arms seizure, which was filed under the Special Powers Act, 14 individuals—including former industry minister and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Matiur Rahman Nizami, Babar, and ULFA military commander Paresh Barua—were sentenced to death by Chattogram Special Tribunal-1 on 30 January 2014, presided over by Judge SM Mojibur Rahman.
The same accused received life imprisonment in another case filed under the Arms Act, in addition to seven-year sentences in a related charge.
Each convict was also fined Tk500,000.
