Fourteen convicts including ministers and top intelligence officials were implicated in two 10-truck arms haul cases either for their involvement with the country’s largest ever smuggling attempt of weaponries or for their dubious role after the seizure on April 2, 2004 in Chittagong.
Their part in the incident has been revealed by the statements of some witnesses and also accused in the cases filed in connection with the smuggling of sophisticated military weapons brought for India’s separatist group Ulfa using the land of Bangladesh.
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, who was then industries minister, was reluctant to help in probing the incident even though the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL) was used to unload the arms from trawlers, said a prosecution witness.
The state-owned CUFL jetty operates under the ministry of industries.
Witness Maj Gen (retd) Imamuzzaman, former chairman of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation under the same ministry, told the court that he had suggested Nizami to form a probe committee since the incident had taken place at the CUFL jetty.
“The minister refrained from making any comment in this regard and I assumed that he was avoiding the matter,” he said.
Another prosecution witness Shoeb Ahmed, the former industries secretary, in his statement said he had met Nizami after being informed of the seizure of the arms.
“I have heard about the incident before you. However, we have nothing to do in this regard. The highest authorities are aware of it,” Shoeb quoted Nizami as saying when he wanted to know their course of action regarding the issue.
Shoeb also said the minister had rebuked him as he proposed to launch an investigation. “Do you think that I am talking to you without consulting the higher authorities? The home ministry has been investigating the matter. The prime minister is also aware of it. So why do we have to investigate it separately?” Nizami told Shoeb.
Omar Faroque, former home secretary who headed the probe committee, in his deposition told the court that former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar had asked him for not mentioning in his report the involvement of a number of National Security Intelligence (NSI) officials.
Farroque Ahmed, another member of the probe body, said he had directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the investigating agency of the cases, to send a requisition letter for quizzing NSI official Akbar Hossain and informed Babar about the matter.
“He [Babar] told me that national interest was connected with many issues, so we will have to proceed considering this aspect,” Farroque added.
Law enforcers had seized 4,930 types of sophisticated firearms; 27,020 grenades; 840 rocket launchers; 300 rockets; 2,000 grenade launching tubes; 6,392 magazines; and 11,40,520 bullets.
Former NSI director wing commander (retd) Shahab Uddin Ahmed, in his confessional statement, said its former chief Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim had informed him about the matter and directed to cooperate in offloading the consignment.
According to the case document, the names of Rahim and Maj Gen (retd) Rezzaqul Haider Chowdhury, the director of DGFI, first came in the statement of Shahab Uddin.
Shahab Uddin said he had been admitted at Combined Military Hospital for physical illness on March 30, 2004. The next day Rezzaqul, accompanied by Ulfa leader Paresh Barua, visited him at the hospital.
“He left the hospital along with Paresh Barua after informing me that the date of arrival of the arms and ammunition has been deferred,” Shahab Uddin added in his statement.
Sergeants Helal Uddin and Alauddin, who reached the spot of unloading the weaponries first, said in their confessional statement that former NSI director Maj (retd) Liakat Hossain had monitored the offloading of consignment identifying himself as one Abul Hossain.
Sabbir Ali, former commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said Liakat had been detained from the spot during the recovery. However, they set him free following directives from the state minister for home affairs.
Akbar Hossain, former field officer of NSI who hired trucks for carrying the arms and ammunitions, said in his confessional statement that he had hired the trucks after being directed by Shahab Uddin.
Akbar was first among the detained intelligence officials. He was held based on the confession of prime accused Hafizur Rahman Hafiz, an arms smuggler in Chittagong.
Prosecution witness Mobin Hossain Khan, former assistant security officer of the CUFL, told the court that former additional secretary of industries ministry Nurul Amin came to Chittagong on the date of incident and he was taken to the CUFL guest house at night.
Mobin said he had informed former managing director Mohshin Talukdar about the recovery around 2am. “The MD directed me to intensify security of CUFL,” he said.
He also said none of the MD or former general manager Enamul Hoque had visited the spot on the date of the incident or even the following day. “Their attitude suggested that they were informed about the incident beforehand,” he added.
Prime Accused Hafiz in his confessional statement said after being assigned by Ulfa leader Paresh Barua, he along with Deen Mohammed, another smuggler, had gone to the deep sea near the Saint Martin’s Island and completed offloading of the consignment on two trawlers from a mother vessel.
He said Deen Mohammed had also supplied labourers for unloading the weaponries. Of the two trawlers, one was owned by Hafiz himself while one Abdus Sobhan hired another.