The High Court today acquitted former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and five others, who were sentenced to death, in the 10-truck arms haul case in Chattogram.

The five others are former director of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) Maj Gen (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, ex-CUFL managing director Mohsin Talukder, former CUFL general manager (admin) Enamul Hoque, former additional secretary of industries ministry Nurul Amin and Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Nizami was executed in May, 2016 for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.  

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HC restarts hearing on appeals

Today, the court also commuted the death sentence of Ulfa military commander Paresh Barua to life imprisonment.

The two-member HC bench led by Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam pronounced the verdict.   

Earlier on December 11, Babar sought acquittal in the case.

His lawyer, Advocate Shishir Manir, had argued then that Babar had been falsely implicated in the case for political reasons. The prosecution could not produce any credible evidence or trustworthy witness in support of the charges brought against Babar, he had said.

Shishir Manir said this while placing arguments on behalf of Babar before the HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akter during the hearing for the 23rd day on the death reference and appeals in the case.

On November 6, the HC began hearing on the death reference and appeals in the sensational 10-truck arms haul case in Chattogram.

If a lower court sentences any person to death in a case, its judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments for confirmation of the death sentence. The case documents and judgment reach as death reference to the HC from the lower court after the latter delivers the verdict.

On January 30, 2014, Chattogram Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 handed down the death penalty to 14 people, including Motiur Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar, for smuggling 10 truckloads of firearms.