The Dhaka Times Desk The court has ordered the hanging of 14 people including former Minister of Industry and Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Matiur Rahman Nizami, former State Minister of Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar in the sensational 10 truckload arms smuggling case.
Apart from this, these 14 people have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the arms seizure case. Judge SM Mojibur Rahman of Chittagong Special Tribunal-1 announced the verdict on Thursday. Almost 10 years after the incident, the verdict of this sensational case was announced.
The names of the 14 persons sentenced are given below:
- Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami and Industry Minister of the coalition government Matiur Rahman Nizami
- BNP leader and then Minister of State for Home Lutfuzzaman Babar
- The military commander of the Wolfa is Paresh Barua
- Former Industry Secretary Nurul Amin
- The former director general of NSI is retired Major General Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury
- Former Director General of NSI retired Brigadier General. Abdur Rahim
- Former Director of NSI is retired Wing Commander Sahab Uddin Ahmed
- এনএসআইয়ের সাবেক উপপরিচালক অবসরপ্রাপ্ত মেজর লিয়াকত হোসেন
- Former field officer of NSI Akbar Hossain Khan
- The then General Manager (Administration) of CUFL was KM Enamul Haque
- Former Managing Director of CUFL Mohsin Uddin Talukder
- 'Smuggler' Hafizur Rahman
- 'Smuggler' Deen Mohammad
- and smuggler's accomplice Haji Abdus Sobhan
Looking back 2004
On the night of April 1, 2004, these 10 trucks of arms and ammunition were seized from the JT Ghat of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited.
On April 2, police and army personnel prepared 10 truckloads of weapons at Dampara Police Line in the city.
On April 3, OC Ahadur Rahman of that police station filed a case under Section 19-A of the Arms Act of 1878 (Case No. 1) and a case of smuggling under Section 25-B of the Special Powers Act of 1974 (Case No. 2) at Karnaphuli Police Station. He also took charge of the investigation of the two cases. The owners, Sareng, employees of the two fishing trawlers and the drivers of the seven seized trucks and cranes are accused in the case. The arms of these seven trucks were later transported in 10 trucks, so this case is known as the 10 truck arms case.
Karnaphuli police station OC Ahadur Rahman was appointed as the investigating officer in both the cases and criticism started. Later on April 26, the investigation of the two cases was entrusted to CID Assistant Super Kabir Uddin.
After the investigation, on June 11, Kabir Uddin filed a charge sheet in the court accusing 45 people in the arms case. On November 9 of that year, CID ASP Nowsher Ali Khan filed a charge sheet against 43 people in the smuggling case.
The then Metropolitan PP Abdus Sattar objected to these charge sheets. In protest, he pointed out that the owner of the transport company from which the trucks were hired was not made an accused or a witness. Although the involvement of a person named Abul Hossain in the release of weapons was revealed, there was no investigation about him.
In view of this complaint, ASP Nowsher Ali Khan re-investigated the arms case and on August 25, 2004, Greenways Transport owner Habibur Rahman gave another charge sheet as a witness.
# ২০০৪ সালের ৩০ নভেম্বর চোরাচালান মামলায়
# On 23 April 2005, the charge sheet was framed against the accused in the arms case.
# On July 6, 2005, Plaintiff Ahadur Rahman testified for the first time in both cases.
# Testimony continued until August 14, 2007. So far 31 witnesses have testified in the arms case and 28 in the smuggling case.
# On November 20, 2007, State Counsel and Mahanagar PP Advocate Ahsanul Haque applied for further investigation into the Hena case.
# After the hearing on that application, on February 14, 2008, the then Metropolitan Sessions Judge A.N.M. Bashirullah
CID ASP Ismail Hossain was the first to take charge of the case after further investigation. His nearly two-year investigation has not seen much progress on the seized weapons. Later, the court ordered to change the investigation officer on the application of the state party. Senior ASP of Chittagong region of CID got the responsibility of the latest investigation. Moniruzzaman Chowdhury. He took charge of the investigation on January 29, 2009. In his investigation, the names and identities of the behind-the-scenes heroes of arms smuggling started coming out.
ASP Moniruzzaman Chowdhury submitted the supplementary charge sheet of two cases to the court on June 26, 2011 after investigating for almost two and a half years. 11 people were newly accused in two cases. 266 witnesses in the Arms Act case and 265 in the smuggling case. A total of 6 accused gave confessional statements in the two cases in the Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
The 11 new accused included in the supplementary charge sheet are - former Minister of Industry Matiur Rahman Nizami, former Minister of State for Home Lutfuzzaman Babar, former Director General of Defense Intelligence (DGFI) and later Director General of NSI Major General (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, former Director General of NSI Brigadier General (retd. ) Abdur Rahim, Former Managing Director of CUFL Mohsinuddin Talukder and General Manager KM Enamul Haque, Former Director of NSI Wing Commander (Retd) Sahabuddin Ahmad, Field Officer Akbar Hossain Khan, Former Deputy Director Major (Retd) M Liaquat Hossain, Former Additional Ministry of Industries Secretary Md. Nurul Amin and Paresh Barua, head of the military wing of the Indian separatist organization ULFA in Assam.
In the arms case, 27 accused are on bail, 11 are in custody and 12 are absconding, including ULFA leader Paresh Barua and former Additional Industries Secretary Nurul Amin. On the other hand, 11 people are in custody, 28 are on bail and 13 are absconding including Nurul Amin and Paresh Barua in the smuggling case.
On November 15, 2011, two cases were filed in the court of Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge and Special Tribunal-1 Judge SM Mojibur Rahman. On November 29 of that year, the testimony of two cases began.
Testimony and cross-examination continued for nearly two years. Testimony and interrogation ended on October 10, 2013 after the interrogation of investigation officer Moniruzzaman. During this period, a total of 56 witnesses testified in the arms case and 53 in the smuggling case. Among them, 31 testified in the weapons case and 28 testified in the smuggling case before further investigation. In two cases, 5 people including the plaintiff Ahadur Rahman testified twice.
After the testimony-examination was over on January 13, the court fixed January 30 (today Thursday) to announce the verdict. After 10 years of the incident, the general public is eagerly waiting to hear the verdict in the 10 Truck Arms Case. Because in the history of the country, no one has ever seen such a large arms smuggling incident.
Today, through this judgment, it is proved that the law moves at its own pace. Law is equal for all no matter how powerful and powerful the person is. No evil force has ever obstructed the law and never will.
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