10-truck arms haul case: Death reference, jail appeal hearings begin
Trial of the case began on 6 July 2005
The hearing on the death reference and jail appeals against the lower court verdict in the highly-publicised 10-truck arms haul case has begun.
The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akhter began hearing the case today (6 November).
Lawyers, including SM Shahjahan, presented appeals for former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, former DGFI DG Rezzakul Haider, and other defendants, challenging their death sentences and jail terms.
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Advocate Shahjahan said the charges in the case's First Information Report are flawed, and the evidence is insufficient, contending that punishing the defendants would be against justice.
Former Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami was also sentenced to death in the case but was excluded after his execution in a separate war crimes case.
United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) leader Paresh Baruah also received a death sentence in the case.
On 30 January 2014, Chattogram's Special Tribunal-1 sentenced 14 individuals to death in a smuggling case related to the 10-truck arms haul, including former industries minister and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami (who has since been executed), former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, and ULFA's military commander Paresh Baruah.
The same defendants received life sentences in a separate arms case, along with additional seven-year terms. Each convict was fined Tk5 lakh as well.
Other death row convicts are – former NSI DG Maj Gen (retired) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, former NSI DG Brig Gen (retired) Abdur Rahim, former DGFI director (security) wing commander Shahabuddin Ahmed, former NSI deputy director Maj (retired) Liakat Hossain, former NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan, former managing director of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL) Mohsin Uddin Talukder, former CUFL general manager (administration) KM Enamul Haq, former acting industries secretary Nurul Amin, accused smuggler Hafizur Rahman, labour supplier Din Mohammad, and trawler owner Haji Abdur Sobhan.
On 1 April 2004, law enforcement officials seized a large cache of weapons while they were being unloaded at the CUFL jetty.
Ten trucks were required to transport the arms, which had reportedly been smuggled via the Bay of Bengal and brought up the Karnaphuli River.
High-ranking officials and state intelligence agencies were accused of being aware of or involved in the smuggling. The trial began on 6 July 2005.
