The 2004 weapon haul case involved 10 truckloads of arms allegedly destined for ULFA hideouts in India's northeast.
Dhaka, Feb 24 : A Bangladeshi court hearing the 2004 weapon haul case involving 10 truckloads of arms allegedly destined for ULFA hideouts in India's northeast has rejected a prosecution plea for more time to probe the matter and slammed investigators for not being able to finish their job so far.
Metropolitan Session Judge AKM Shamsul Islam in southeastern port city of Chittagong blasted the case's investigation officers, questioning their competence as the prosecution sought more time for the 12th time to complete the "further investigation."
A visibly angry Islam on Tuesday rejected the plea and immediately summoned the case's chief investigation officer Muniruzzaman of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the dock to explain the development of the probe process. "How dare you appeared in the court without the case docket (documents) ... what are you doing taking the extra time for the investigation," local media quoted the judge as telling the officer during the proceedings.
The court also criticised the state-appointed lawyer in the case for the delay after he apparently tried to defend the officer saying the extended time was needed as the prosecution and investigators required to proceed with caution because "very influential people of different quarters" were involved in the case.
"Like the Goddess Durga, this case too has 10 hands, which are very strong ... very influential quarters of the then (BNP-led) government were involved in it who are to be brought to justice with caution," chief prosecution lawyer Kamaluddin Ahmed told the court.
The court ordered appearance on March 30 of all the accused, including controversial former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar and two ex-army generals who earlier headed the apex National Security Intelligence (NSI).
An influential member of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP-led government, Babar is a key suspect of the arms haul, when 10 trucks of weapons, believed to be destined to United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) hideouts in northeastern India, were "accidentally" seized.
CID officials, who were entrusted with the task of an extended investigation into the case, earlier hinted that they found clues about the involvement of several stalwarts of the past BNP regime, including Zia's now expatriate elder son and party's senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, in the abortive weapon smuggling attempt.
Despite his exposure to several other criminal and graft charges, Rahman, however, was yet to be named in the case. Earlier media reports had claimed that he had meetings with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim at least twice in connection with the weapon trading.
The consignment of 10 truckloads of weapons was seized in April 2004 despite suspected efforts of certain "influential quarters" for its safe passage to "ULFA hideouts" in northeastern India through Chittagong, but the case was shelved for years after the apparently "accidental" seizure.
The seized weapons, which included over 27,000 grenades, 150 rocket launchers, over 11 lakh ammunitions and 1,100 sub machine guns, were unloaded at a government jetty belonging to state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Company Ltd (CUFL) to be reloaded in trucks allegedly destined for northeastern frontiers.
The subsequent military-backed interim government in 2008 ordered re-investigation amid allegations that there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the then administration under the BNP to suppress facts to weaken the case.
The reinvestigation process yielded the arrest of several high-profile intelligence officials including former NSI chiefs -- retired major general Rezzakul Haidar Chowdhury and ex-brigadier general Abdur Rahim -- and questioning of a number of senior officers including the then home secretary Omar Faruque.
The investigators also found that the weapons were manufactured at China North Industries Corporation or Norinco, known outside of China for its high-tech defence products, some of which are adaptations of Soviet equipment.
Officials earlier said ULFA leader Paresh Barua oversaw the abortive smuggling process in connivance with the influential people in Bangladesh.
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