The High Court (HC) on Wednesday acquitted six death-row convicts, including former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, in the sensational 10-truck arms haul cases. The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akter passed the order. The court also commuted the death sentence of six convicts to 10 years' imprisonment in the case. Indian separatist outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) chief Paresh Barua, another death-row convict, had his sentence reduced to life imprisonment. High Court rejects ex-NBR Official Matiur’s writ petition to travel abroad The court also exempted former National Security Intelligence director general Abdur Rahim from the case. The case dates back to April 1, 2004, when 10 truckloads of arms were seized at the Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) jetty. Immunity provision in quick rental act illegal: High Court Two cases – one under the Arms Act and another under the Special Powers Act – were filed with Karnaphuli Police Station the following day, naming 50 people as accused in the arms case and 52 in the other. On January 30, 2014, Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mujibur Rahman sentenced 14 people to death under the Special Powers Act. They were also handed life imprisonment and seven years' imprisonment each under two sections of the arms case. The 14 sentenced to death included former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, ULFA chief Paresh Barua, former DGFI director Maj Gen (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, and former NSI director general Abdur Rahim. The charges were related to smuggling under the Special Powers Act. Of these convicts, Motiur Rahman Nizami was executed in 2016 for crimes against humanity.  

The High Court on Wednesday acquitted former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar in a corruption case related to 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 delivered the acquittal. 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 bars as he faces 13 other cases. Court imposes travel ban on ex-DG of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy The ACC initially filed the corruption case against Babar on January 13, 2008, at the 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, 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, along with 18 others, to death for his role in the grenade attack on an Awami League rally in 2004, which killed and injured numerous people.

The High Court on Monday accepted former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar appeal against his eight-year jail term for amassing ill-gotten wealth worth Tk 7.5 crore and hiding the information. A single bench of Justice Md Selim passed the order and also stayed Babar's fine in this case. Read: Babar gets 8 years in graft case Lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kajal appeared for the appeal while lawyer Md Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Earlier on October 12, Dhaka Special Judge Court-7 sentenced Babar to eight years in jail in this case. The court also imposed a fine of Tk 10,000 on Babar and ordered the forfeiture of over Tk 6.26 crore in his bank account. Babar will have to undergo an additional three months' imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine. Later, Babar’s counsel appealed to the court against the judgment. On January 13, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the corruption case against Babar at the Ramna Model Police Station. On July 16, 2008, deputy assistant secretary of ACC, Rupok Kumar Saha, submitted a charge sheet against him. Read:Judgment in Babar’s graft case on Oct 12 Babar was arrested from his Gulshan residence on May 28, 2007. He was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment in an arms case on October 30, 2007. He was also sentenced to death in the 10-truck arms haul and August 21 grenade attack cases. In 2018, a fast-track tribunal sentenced 19 people, including Babar, to death in the case filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.