Former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and some top intelligence officials, including a former DGFI director, might have links to the smuggling of 10 truckloads of arms in 2004, former DGFI chief Sadik Hasan Rumi told a court yesterday.
The huge consignment of arms and ammunition was seized on April 2 of that year at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd.
Following the seizure, Babar forbade the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence to conduct an independent investigation into the incident, said the then DGFI director general (DG) Maj Gen (retd) Sadik Hasan before the Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1.
Rather, Babar insisted on nominating the then DGFI director of Counter Intelligence Bureau (CIB) Brig Gen Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury as the representative from DGFI in the government probe body, court sources quoted Sadik as saying. The probe body was led by the then home secretary Omar Faruq.
Sadik added that he had recommended another DGFI officer for the probe body, but Babar had been pushing for Rezzakul's inclusion in the committee.
He was submitting his deposition yesterday as the sixth prosecution witness of the arms haul case. Judge SM Mojibur Rahman recorded his statements and fixed April 3 for his cross-examination.
Sadik told the court that he at first heard about the incident at 6:00am on the day from the then chief of DGFI, Chittagong Col GS Rezaur Rahman over the phone. He then informed Khaleda Zia, the then prime minister, of the matter.
He with Babar and a few other officials immediately flew to Chittagong in a helicopter to inspect the seized arms. A meeting was held at the office of Chittagong Metropolitan Police commissioner in the afternoon.
"While going to the meeting Col GS Rezaur told me that he had heard some NSI [National Security Intelligence] officials had connections with the arms smuggling," Sadik said.
Rezaur had also told him that the name of Rezzakul Haider came up as one among them, who were involved in the incident, and there was also an allegation that the arms were brought for Indian separatist group Ulfa [United Liberation Front of Asom].
From the discussion with Rezaur and then Babar's instructions at the meeting not to carry out an investigation by DGFI, Sadik said he had started realising that, "It was not a small smuggling case and that some senior officials might be involved in this."
"After the meeting was over, Col Rezaur and some field-level DGFI staff, Chittagong informed me that they had heard the then NSI DG Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim, former NSI director wing commander Sahabuddin, ex-NSI deputy director Maj (retd) Liakat Hossain and ex-NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan were involved in the smuggling."
Sadik also said he had informed then prime minister Khaleda Zia of the inspection the following morning (April 3). Listening to him, she said a committee would be formed and asked him to nominate a DGFI representative for that committee.
In the afternoon, Babar phoned Sadik and asked him to nominate Rezzakul.
"I ordered Rezzakul to keep me posted on the progress of the investigation but he never did that," Sadik told the court.
He said he came to know in January or February of 2004, months before the arms haul, from his sources that Ulfa leader Paresh Barua had been staying in the capital's Uttara.
"I ordered Rezzakul to capture Paresh," said Sadik, adding that Rezzakul along with his force had gone to the place but apparently failed to capture Paresh.
He then suspected that Rezzakul might have links with Paresh Barua, he told the court.