Former state minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar has been released after 17 years of imprisonment.
He walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on Thursday afternoon.
News of Lutfozzaman Babar’s release drew crowds from his hometown, with supporters and relatives gathering outside the prison alongside a motorcade.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Babar was acquitted of the life sentence imposed under the Arms Act in connection with the infamous 10-truck arms smuggling case in Chittagong.
This decision marks Babar’s acquittal in all cases against him, clearing the way for his release.
Lutfozzaman Babar was arrested on May 28, 2007 and received various sentences in multiple cases, including two death penalties and a life sentence.
However, after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, following a student-led mass uprising, Babar’s appeals were heard, leading to his gradual acquittal.
Notably, he was acquitted of an eight-year corruption sentence on October 23 and of the August 21 grenade attack case, where he had initially been sentenced to death, on December 1.