HC clears way for Ctg arms haul verdict

The High Court yesterday cleared the way for a trial court to deliver verdict in the sensational 10-truck arms haul cases by rejecting four petitions of the accused.
The accused had prayed to the HC to allow them to cross-examine the first investigation officer of the two cases and transfer the cases to a new court.
A Chittagong court is scheduled to announce the judgement in the two cases on Thursday, nearly a decade after the recovery of the huge cache of arms and ammunition on April 2, 2004 at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL). The arms were being loaded on trucks.
The arms and ammo were reportedly meant for Indian separatist outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa).
The cases were filed with Karnaphuli Police Station the following day of the arms recovery.
Former BNP state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, former industries minister and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and a few former top intelligence and government officials are accused in the cases.
The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed yesterday came up with the order rejecting four petitions filed by three accused.
The court, however, did not mention any reason behind rejecting the petitions.
Petitioners' lawyer Shah Monjurul Hoque said his clients will file an appeal with the Supreme Court against the HC order.
In the petitions, the accused said they were not allowed to cross-examine Ahadur Rahman, the first investigation officer of the cases, as he was transferred to another police station.
The petitioners also claimed that Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 Judge SM Mojibur Rahman, who is set to deliver the verdict, had earlier passed “contradictory orders” in the cases.