Former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar and four others have pleaded not guilty in the 10-truck arms haul case.
Altogether 37 accused, arrested or on bail, have pleaded not guilty in three working days.
They are being tried at the Chittagong’s Sessions Court of Judge SM Mojibur Rahman.
Those who were cross-examined under section 342 of the Bangladesh Penal Code on Wednesday are Babar, former NSI Director General Brg Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim, former director, wing commander (retd) Shahabuddin, former deputy director Major (retd) Liakat Hossain and CUFL jetty worker Md Osman.
The court has permitted accused Maj Gen (retd) Rezzakul Haider, already cross-examined on Oct 24, to make his statement after the grilling of the five accused.
Babar’s lawyer Abdur Sobhan Tarafder pleaded for an adjournment asking the court to grill Babar after the higher court cleared an appeal about three witness testimonies remaining incomplete.
The court said the proceedings will continue until the High Court orders a halt.
Public Prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahammad then read out the charges from the two cases over the 10-truck arms haul.
He asked Babar about his stance and the former junior minister protested his innonence.
Babar refused to produce witnesses, documents and statements in his defence, citing his appeal in the higher court. He remained adamant despite various queries from the court.
The four other accused also pleaded innocence and said they did not have witnesses. But Abdul Razim, Sahabuddin and Liakat said they will provide the court with documents.
‘Forced accusation’
The former DGFI Director General said he was innocent of the charges.
He said, “Wing Commander (retd) Sahabuddin gave his testimony under Section 164. There he said he saw me coming up the stairs after Amir Bhai (ULFA leader Paresh Barua) through the gap in the door of a cabin at the CMH.
“The Investigating Officer brought charges against me based on that comment and without visiting the scene. It is not possible to see the stairs from inside the cabin.
“It is also not possible to enter CMH with someone after 6pm.”
He quoted from Sahabuddin’s testimony saying, “It says I went to talk to Sahabuddin with Amir Bhai. I was director of the Counter Intelligence Bureau. My rank is higher. Why should I break protocol and go see him?”
“There is a charge against me saying I was in a meeting with Paresh Barua at a safe house in Banani DOHS. It says Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman and Maj Gen (retd) Sadik Hasan Rumi were also there.”
The DGFI did not have a safe house in Banani, Rezzakul said; in that case, the Investigation Officer could have taken a comment from the security guard or questioned Mahbubur Rahman about the meeting but he did not.
Rezzakul began to cry and at one point of his statement said he was intentionally accused in the case despite having nothing to do with it.
Police seized 10 truckloads of weapons and ammunition from the CUFL jetty in Chittagong on the night of April 1 2004. It sparked speculation that the cache was allegedly destined for the Indian insurgent group, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
Jamaat-e-Islami leader and former minister Motiur Rahman Nizami, also an accused, could not be produced in court because he stands accused of war crimes.
He is the only one to have not been questioned among the accused either arrested or bailed out.
Source: Bd news24
