A prosecution lawyer in the Chittagong arms haul cases yesterday started placing closing arguments, terming false and baseless the defence's allegation that the charges were politically motivated.
As per the further investigations following a Chittagong court's 2008 order, charges were brought against some particular influential people, including high-ups of the then BNP-led 4-party alliance government, based on specific allegations, said Advocate Kamal Uddin Ahmed.
Placing a brief background of the cases, he referred, before Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1, to the confessional statement of the prime accused, Hafizur Rahman, an alleged local smuggler.
Kamal said Hafizur mentioned the direct involvement of “Hawa Bhaban”, officials of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence and National Security Intelligence and United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) leader Paresh Barua.
“Hawa Bhaban” was known as the alternative powerhouse run by the BNP chairperson's son, Tarique Rahman.
However, the first information reports and initial charge sheets give a sense that these are ordinary cases with ordinary people like labourers, truck drivers and owners and staff of two trawlers named as accused, he said.
Even the then Chittagong Metropolitan Police commissioner had, as per the plaintiff's statement as a witness and after the haul, instructed that no case be filed, Kamal added.
The plaintiff, Ahadur Rahman, was the then officer-in-charge of Karnaphuli Police Station.
The arms and ammunition, manufactured in China, were meant to be smuggled to India for ULFA, said Kamal, adding that no ordinary person can dare to smuggle such a huge quantity of arms.
The cases were filed a day after seven truckloads of arms and ammunition were seized at a jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd in Chittagong city on April 2, 2004. The court will resume proceedings today.