The Chittagong trial court verdict on decade-old 10 truck arms haul and smuggling cases condemning 14 people, including detained former Industries Minister and Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, and former junior Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, to death was transmitted to the High Court for confirmation of its sentences.Ten policemen of Chittagong submitted the copies of the judgments to the death reference section of the High Court division. Court sources said that after a thorough hearing on the matter, a designated death reference bench of the High Court will dispose of the trial court sentences as required by the law.Now three designated death reference benches of the High Court Division are functioning with the cases of the year 2008, said a government law officer at the Attorney General Office. On January 30, Judge SM Mojibur Rahman of Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal handed down verdict in the sensational 10-truck arms smuggling case awarding death sentence to 14 people, including Motiur Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar.The condemned convicts also include former DGFI (Directorate General of Forces Intelligence) director Maj Gen (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, former DG of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim, and three other NSI officials – director (security) Wing Commander Shahab Uddin Ahmed, deputy director Maj (retd) Liakat Hossain and field officer Akbar Hossain Khan. Others awarded death penalty in the case are United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah; former additional secretary (industry) Nurul Amin; the then Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd (CUFL) Managing Director Mahsin Uddin Talukder and its GM (administration) KM Enamul Hoque; and three businessmen-Hafizur Rahman Hafiz, Deen Mohammad and Haji Abdus Subhan. Besides, the 14 condemned convicts were also sentenced to life term imprisonment under section 19(A) and seven years imprisonment under section 19 © of the Arms Act filed in connection with the arms haul. The condemned convicts were also fined Tk 5 lakh each. On April 1, 2004, ten trucks of arms were seized from two vessels at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd jetty.The following day, two cases-one for arms and another for smuggling-were filed with Karnaphuli Police Station under the Special Powers Act and the Arms Act.Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted charge-sheet against 44 people in the two cases on June 11, 2004. Further investigation was held following a petition filed by the state. CID again submitted supplementary charge-sheet on August 25, 2004, but most of the accused in the charge-sheet were workers and boatmen. After the 1/11 changeover, Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court ordered further investigation in the two cases following a petition by the State.Muniruzzaman Chowdhury, senior assistant superintendent of CID and the 5th investigation officer of the cases, submitted two supplementary charge-sheets in June 2011, accusing 11 new suspects including Matiur Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar. Charges were framed against the new 11 accused on November 15, 2011.
