The same 14 convicts have been awarded life term imprisonment in the arms case
A Chittagong special court has sentenced 14, including two ministers — Matiur Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar — of the then BNP-led 4-party alliance government, to death in arms smuggling case of the 10-truck arms haul on Thursday afternoon.
Nizami was the industries minister while Babar was the state minister for home of the then BNP-led alliance government.
The same 14 convicts were awarded life term imprisonment in the arms case.
Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge and Special Tribunal 1 judge SM Mojibur Rahman delivered the verdict in presence of 11 accused, including Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami and BNP leader Lutfuzzaman Babar.
“The verdict has been delivered on receiving permission from the High Court division,” he said.
Apart from Nizami and Babar, the other convicts who got death and life sentence are former director generals of the National Security Intelligence retired Major General Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and retired Brigadier General Abdur Rahim, former NSI directors retired Wing Commander Shahabuddin Ahmed, retired Major Liakat Hossain and Field Officer Akbar Hossain, former Managing Director of the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited Mohshin Talukder and its former General Manager AKM Enamul Haque, ULFA leader Paresh Barua, former Industries Secretary Nurul Amin, Hafizur Rahman Hafiz, Din Mohammad and Hazi Abdus Sobhan.
The 11 accused were produced before the court at 11:15am and the judge started reading verdict at 12:20pm.
Earlier on January 13, the tribunal fixed the date for delivering the verdict in the arms haul case.
On April 1, 2004, the police seized 4,930 types of sophisticated firearms, 27,020 grenades, 840 rocket launchers, 300 rockets, 2,000 grenade launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 11,40,520 bullets when they were being loaded on to 10 trucks from two engine-boats at the jetty of the CUFL.
Ahadur Rahman, the then Karnaphuli police officer-in-charge, filed the two cases – one under section 19 (A) of Arms Act and the other for smuggling under section 25 (B) of Special Power Act – on April 3, 2004 in connection with the incident.
Ahadur, who was also the investigation officer of the cases, initially accused 43 people in the arms case and 45 others in the other case.
The cases were handed over to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Chittagong on April 26, 2004 when Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kabir Uddin was appointed as investigation officer.
CID ASP Kabir Uddin submitted the first charge sheets accusing 39 persons in the arms case on June 11, 2004, said the case documents. ASP Mir Nawsher Ali of the CID was later appointed as the third investigation officer of the cases.
ASP Nawsher submitted the supplementary charge sheet of the arms case implicating 43 persons on August 28, 2004 as then PP Abdus Sattar filed discontent petition before the court while the court framed charges against the accused on April 23, 2005.
He also submitted charge sheet in the smuggling case implicating 45 persons on November 9, 2004 while the court framed charges against the accused on November 30, 2004.
After that the trial started on July 5, 2005 with the deposition of OC Ahadur but the trial continued till August 14, 2007.
A total of 31 prosecution witnesses in the arms case and 28 in the smuggling case were testified till then while Additional Public Prosecutor Humayun Kabir Rasel, a state-side lawyer, pleaded before the court on November 20, 2007 for further investigation into the two cases.
On February 12, 2008, during the tenure of the last caretaker government, the court of Metropolitan Session Judge ANM Bashirullan ordered further investigation into the cases.
The court in its order directed to investigate seven specific points in the further investigation.
ASP Ismail Hossain of the CID carried out the investigation as the fourth investigation officer of the cases but he failed to submit charge sheets even after extension of timeframe for six times.
On January 29, 2009, ASP Moniruzzaman was appointed as the fifth investigation officer after a court order to replace Ismail Hossain on an appeal by the state lawyer.
Moniruzzaman on June 26, 2011 submitted supplementary charge sheets implicating 11 more persons including former industries minister Matiur Rahman Nizami, former state minister for home affairs Lufozzaman Babar. He mentioned 265 prosecution witnesses in the supplementary charge sheet.
Former directors general of the National Security Intelligence retired major general Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and retired brigadier general Abdur Rahim, former NSI directors retired wing commander Shahabuddin Ahmed and retired major Liakat Hossain and field officer Akbar Hossain, former managing director of the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited Mohshin Talukder and its former general manager AKM Enamul Haque, ULFA leader Paresh Barua and former Industries Secretary Nurul Amin were among the newly implicated persons.
Of the 11 Paresh Barua and Nurul Amin have been on the run while the rest are behind bars.
Four accused – Monir Ahammad, Yiakub Ali, Hazi Mohammad Ataur Rahman and Abul Kashem Modhu – had been dropped from the charge sheet as they died earlier.
12 accused including ULFA leader Paresh Barua and Industries Secretary Nurul Amin are on the run in the arms case. 13 accused are on the run in the smuggling case. Of them 12 were also accused in the arms case.
In the arms case, 27 accused are on bail and 11 are behind bars while 28 are on bail in the smuggling case and 11 are in jail.
The court of Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 SM Mujibur Rahman framed the charges against the accused in both cases on November 15, 2009 while the trial started on November 29 in 2011.
A total of 38 accused were examined under section 342 of Criminal procedure Code (CrPC) while 53 prosecution witnesses in the smuggling case and 56 in the arms case were testified.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
“Unarmed 19 party opposition are too weak to fight the armed cadres of the ruling party, numbering 18,000 throughout the country. Most of the leaDERS OF THE OPPOSITION ARE IN GHJAIL/. Some facing dozens of fictitious cases that would keep them busy to attend their political activities. Top officers of the entire regiments of the law enforcing agencies are highly & totally politicised, well armed and trained to kill & are no match to the opposition. India the local “SUPER POWER” has reiterated its support to the ruling party of Hasina & its Atheists allies. Under these circumstances very few world leaders are willing to compete India opposing Indian hegemony and as such it looks like the oppositions in Bangladesh are left on their on fate”- said a retired top public servant on condition of anonymity. Fazlul Karim Bhuiya reporting from Dhaka.30.01.2014.:
Ex President of Bangladesh demands quick steps to stop extra judicial killings
Voicing deep concern over the recent spate of reported extrajudicial killings, President of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury on Thursday urged the government to take prompt action against it. In a statement, the former president said, “The media are carrying out reports that the incidents of secret killing or forced disappearance are on the rise. This is alarming for the country.”He said secret killings are not acceptable in any democratic and civilised society. “It’s my demand that the government will take prompt action against it.”B Chowdhury also expressed displeasure that though the government quickly disposed of many killing cases, there has been no visible progress in the murder case of former finance minister ASM Kibria even after nine years of the incident. “This is not acceptable.”He said people want to know the mystery behind the murder of Kibria. “I’m, on behalf of my party and Kibria’s family, demanding justice and speedy trial of the murder.” http://www.unb.com// http://www.bdchronicle.com .Dhaka>30.01.2014F