DHAKA: The High Court (HC) Wednesday accepted the appeals of four convicts against the death and life sentences verdict issued by Chittagong Special Tribunal-1 in the 10 truck arms haul case.
An HC bench comprising M Rezaul Haque and Gobinda Chandra Tagore accepted the appeal for hearing.
Four convicts including former minister and Jamaat leader Matiur Rahman Nizami filed the appeal cases with the High Court.
On January 30, Chittagong Special Tribunal-1 sentenced 14, including two former ministers Matiur Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar of the then BNP-led 4-party alliance government, to death in arms smuggling case of the 10-truck arms haul.
The 14 convicts were also awarded life term imprisonment in the arms case.
Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge and Special Tribunal-1 Judge SM Mojibur Rahman had delivered the verdict.
Amongst the death convicts, Paresh Barua, military commander of Indian separatist group United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), is reportedly hiding in China.
The 11 others are ex-NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan, former CUFL general manager (admin) Enamul Hoque, ex-managing director of CUFL Mohsin Talukder, former NSI director Wing Commander (retd) Shahab Uddin, smuggler and prime accused Hafizur Rahman, Abdus Sobhan and Deen Islam.
On April 2, 2004, the police seized 4,930 sophisticated firearms, 27,020 grenades, 840 rocket launchers, 300 rockets, 2,000 grenade launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 11,40,520 bullets when they were being loaded on 10 trucks from two engine-boats at the jetty of the Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL).
Ahadur Rahman, then officer-in-charge of Karnaphuli Thana, filed two cases in connection with the incident, which were transferred to the criminal investigation department of police after 22 days.
Former BNP state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, former industries minister and Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman Nizami and several high-ranking intelligence agency and government officials were tried in the cases whose progress was closely monitored by New Delhi because the arms were destined for India.
BDST: 1539 HRS, APR 16, 2014
