Babar shouts in court

Former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and pro-Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP lawyers yesterday clamoured for adjournment of the proceedings in the sensational 10-truck arms haul cases in absence of a section of defence lawyers amid hartal.
Shouts broke out in Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 shortly after it opened around 2:30pm and resumed recording of the deposition of the last and fifth investigation officer (IO), Additional Superintendent of Police Moniruzzaman Chowdhury.
Babar prayed to the judge not to record the IO's deposition as his lawyer could not arrive in Chittagong from Dhaka due to the countrywide hartal. The pro-Jamaat and BNP defence lawyers joined him and demanded adjournment of the proceedings for the day.
But, Public Prosecutor Advocate Kamal Uddin Ahammad said there were no legal restrictions on recording the prosecution witness's statement in absence of defence lawyers.
After the IO started giving his statement, Babar termed the allegations against him "false" and claimed that he was accused in the arms haul cases, as he refused to give "false deposition", said sources present in the courtroom.
At one stage, Babar pointed at the prosecution and said, "Everything has an end and this is not the last government." He also shouted, "Wrath of Allah (gazab) will befall (you)".
After the 25-minute chaos came to an end, the IO could give his statement for about 20 minutes before the court was adjourned at 3:15pm.
Moniruzzaman said upon his appointment as IO, he first interrogated two detained accused, Hafizur Rahman and Deen Mohammad, in remand twice and both of them told him about the involvement of some NSI and DGFI personnel in the arms smuggling.
In his statement, Hafizur confessed to have connections with Indian separatist ULFA military wing commander Poresh Barua, a fugitive accused in the arms haul cases, said the IO, adding that Hafizur met Poresh several times and took financial support from him.
On information from some witnesses, he also arrested and interrogated NSI Field Officer Akbar Hossain who confessed to his involvement in the smuggling, the IO added.
Huge caches of smuggled arms and ammunition were seized at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd jetty on April 2, 2004. An arms case and a smuggling case were filed with Karnaphuli Police Station following the incident.
The court will resume recording of the rest of Moniruzzaman's deposition from May 5, when the court will resume and continue proceedings for the next two days.