Defence starts placing arguments in 10-truck arms haul case at HC

The defence at the High Court (HC) today started placing their arguments on death references and appeals in the case lodged over 2004 Chattogram 10-truck arms haul. Defence counsel Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir started placing arguments at the High Court division bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akter. 

Earlier the prosecution placed their paper book in the case. Deputy attorney general Sultana Akter Rubi and assistant attorney general took part in the hearing for the state, while senior advocate SM Shahjahan and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir stood for the defence. The High Court on November 6 started its hearing on death references and appeals filed by the convicts.

Law enforcers and coast guard personnel seized ten truckload of arms, ammunition and explosives while those were being off- loaded at CUFL jetty area at the south-east bank of the river Karnaphuli under Karnaphuli Police Station on the night of April 1, 2004. Two cases were lodged the next day with Karnaphuli Police Station, one under the Special Powers Act and the other under the Arms Act.

The trial court concerned on January 30, 2014, sentenced 14 people including former industries minister and Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami and former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar to death in the case lodged under the Special Powers Act. The court also sentenced them to life term imprisonment in the case filed under the Arms Act.