Law enforcement agencies have taken special security measures in the court building area including the port city and district to evade any untoward incidents ahead of the delivery of the verdict of sensational 10-truck arms haul cases which is scheduled for Thursday.
Banaz Kumar Majumder, additional commissioner (crime and operation) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said additional 2,000 forces had been deployed at 50 strategic points, including at the court building and residence of the judge who would deliver the verdict.
Three tiers of security have been taken in the entrance of the court building area, Rezaul Masud, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan police told the Dhaka Tribune.
CMP has deployed 500 police personnel around the Chittagong court building and key-point installations all over Chittagong, Masud said adding, 20 check posts have been set up at different strategic places in the metropolis for the purpose.
Mosaraf Hossain, additional deputy inspector general of Chittagong range, said they had alerted all police stations of the division especially in the district’s Satkania, Lohagara, Sitakunda, Mirsarai, Banshkhali and Potiya upazilas to evade any kind of unwanted incident.
Babul Akhter, additional deputy commissioner at the Detective Branch of CMP, said they started raiding the shanties and vulnerable spots adjoining the court building as well as in the city from early Wednesday.
CMP high officials have already visited the courtroom and the court building area in last two days to scrutinise security measures, he added.
Lt Col Miftah Uddin, commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-7), said they have deployed five additional patrol teams comprised of 150 Rab personnel.
In addition, bomb disposal unit and bomb sweeping units from both Rab-7 and DB conducted searches in the entire court building, including the courtroom, said the spokesmen of Rab-7 and DB.
The verdict in the sensational 10-truck arms haul case will be delivered on Thursday.
Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal Judge SM Mojibur Rahman will pronounce the verdict after 10 years of the incident.
On January 13, the tribunal fixed the date for delivering the verdict in the arms haul case.
10 trucks arms were seized from two vessels at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd jetty on April 1, 2004.
Two cases were filed with Karnaphuli police station on the following day under the Special Power Act and Arms Act.
Jamaat-e-Islami chief and war crimes accused Matiur Rahman Nizami, former State Minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, former Managing Director of CUFL Mohammad Mohsin Uddin Talukdar, former General Manager (administration) of CUFL Enamul Hoque, former Director General of NSI Brigadier General Abdur Rahim, the then director general of DGFI Rezzakul Haider Chowdhurywere among the accused in the case.
In 2004, investigators submitted the first charge sheet against 45 people in the smuggling and 43 people in the arms case.
Four people, who were accused in both the cases, have already died.
After the supplementary charge sheet was submitted on June 26 in 2012, the number of accused in the cases, one for smuggling firearms and the other under the arms act, are 50 and 52 respectively.