HC acquits Babar in graft case

Court Correspondent :

The High Court on Wednesday acquitted former State Minister Lutfozzaman Babar in a corruption case in connection with acquiring wealth beyond his known sources of income.

The ruling came after Babar filed an appeal challenging the lower court’s conviction.

The bench of Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah pronounced the acquittal verdict. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir represented Babar during the hearing, while Advocate AKM Fazlul
Haque argued on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Despite this acquittal, Babar will remain behind the bar as he yet faces 13 other cases.
The ACC initially filed the corruption case against Babar on January 13 of 2008, with Ramna
Model Police Station. A charge sheet was submitted by ACC Deputy Assistant Secretary Rupok
Kumar Saha on July 16, 2008.

Babar was first arrested from his Gulshan residence on May 28 of 2007. Later that year, on
October 30, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison in an arms case.

Babar also received the death penalty in two high-profile cases: the 10-truck arms haul case and
the August 21 grenade attack case.

In 2018, a fast-track tribunal sentenced Babar, with 18 others, to death for his role in the grenade
attack on an Awami League rally in 2004.

Lutfozzaman Babar, a two-time MP from Netrokona-4 constituency, served as the State Minster
for Home Affairs in the BNP-led government from 2001 to 2006.