The 10 truckloads of weapons and ammunition seized in Chittagong in 2004 were meant to strengthen Indian separatist group ULFA, the court observed in its verdicts on the arms haul case.
Judge SM Mojibur Rahman of the Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court and Special Tribunal-1 released the 500-plus pages full verdicts of the two cases under the Special Powers Act and the Arms Act on Tuesday.
On Jan 30, the court awarded death sentences to 14 people including Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar, ULFA’s military wing chief Paresh Barua and two former chiefs of NSI and DGFI in the smuggling case.
The court said in its observation that most of the defendants were either government or military officials and knowing everything, they did not do anything to stop the ‘crime’.
On the day the verdict was delivered, the judge had said that it was clear from the defendants’ testimonies, especially those of the intelligence officers, that they had ‘close relations’ with ULFA leader Paresh Barua.
Police had seized 10 trucks of weapons and ammunition from the state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL) jetty on the banks of Karnafuli River in Chittagong’s Anowara Upazila while being offloaded from two fishing trawlers in the early hours of April 2, 2004.
Around 1,500 boxes containing submachine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, submachine carbines, Chinese pistols, rocket shells and launchers, hand grenades and bullets were seized.
Later that day, Karnafuli Police Station’s erstwhile Officer-in-Charge Ahadur Rahman filed the two cases.
Investigations revealed the arms and ammunition had been manufactured in China and they were shipped from Hong Kong for the Indian separatists, ULFA.
Charges were framed against the accused on Nov 15, 2011 and the testimony began on Nov 29 the same year.
After over three years of hearing, arguments of the counsels for the state and defendants the case closed on Jan 13 this year.
Source: Bd news24
