Staff Reporter :
The High Court has acquitted Lutfozzaman Babar, former state minister for home affairs in the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, by overturning his 17-year sentence in an arms case.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by a High Court bench comprising Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akhter after accepting Babar’s appeal.
On October 30, 2007, Dhaka Metropolitan Special Tribunal No. 9 sentenced Babar to 17 years in prison for possessing an unlicensed revolver at his residence.
Babar was arrested from his home on May 28, 2007, during the military-backed caretaker government. The following day, he was shown as officially arrested. Five months later, during the emergency period that year, the court sentenced him to 17 years in the arms case.
Babar was represented in court by lawyer Md. Shishir Monir, who told media”The joint forces intentionally filed this case seven days after arresting him.
The FIR stated that a weapon was recovered from a red-black bag, but that bag was not included in the seizure list.
Additionally, although a general diary (GD) was filed for his arrest, it was never presented in the trial court despite repeated petitions.”
Shishir Monir further stated that the defense had repeatedly requested the court to allow access to CCTV footage from Babar’s house on the day of the incident, but the request was denied.
He added, “In reality, some members of the joint forces entered the house carrying that red-black bag.
Though the case had neutral witnesses-a security guard and a welding mechanic-they testified that they did not see anything being seized, only that their signatures were taken.”
Based on these arguments, the High Court accepted Babar’s appeal and acquitted him.
According to case documents, on June 3, 2007, Sub-Inspector Helal Uddin of Gulshan Police Station filed a case against Babar under Sections 19(a) and 19(c) of the Arms Act.
The case’s charge sheet stated that on the night of his arrest at 9:30 PM, the joint forces and Gulshan police conducted a search at Babar’s residence and seized a revolver, a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun. While Babar’s wife presented licenses for three of the weapons, she could not provide one for the revolver.
Twenty days later, on June 23, 2007, the investigating officer submitted the charge sheet against Babar. During the trial, the prosecution presented 14 witnesses.
On October 30, 2007, Dhaka Metropolitan Special Tribunal No. 9 sentenced Babar to 10 years in prison under Section 19(a) and 7 years under Section 19(c) of the Arms Act, totaling 17 years.
Babar later appealed this verdict, and after hearings, the High Court has now acquitted him.
Other Cases and Release from Prison
After spending 17 years in prison due to multiple convictions, Babar was released on January 16 this year.
He was arrested on May 28, 2007, during the military-backed caretaker government. Over the next 17 years, under the Awami League government, he was sentenced in multiple cases, including two death sentences and a life imprisonment verdict.
Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year due to a student-led uprising, Babar was acquitted in several cases upon appeal.
On October 23 last year, he was acquitted of an eight-year sentence in a corruption case. On December 1, the High Court acquitted Babar and all other accused in the August 21 grenade attack case, where he had previously been sentenced to death.
Babar was also sentenced to death in the 10-truck arms smuggling case under the Special Powers Act and received a life sentence in a separate arms case. However, on December 18 and January 14, the High Court acquitted him in both cases, paving the way for his release.
Earler ,Babar was elected as a Member of Parliament from Netrokona-4 (Madan-Mohanganj-Khaliajuri) twice, serving from 1991-1996 and 2001-2006. In 2001, he was the youngest minister in Khaleda Zia’s cabinet, holding the position of state minister for home affairs.
