Online Desk  :   The High Court has acquitted former BNP state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar in a case filed for accumulating illegal wealth in which he was sentenced to eight years jail by a trial court. It also scrapped that verdict which had found Babar guilty of amassing illegal wealth of Tk 7.5 crore. The bench of Justice Kamrul Hossain Mollah delivered the judgment following an appeal filed by Babar challenging the trial court’s decision.

Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir represented Babar during the court proceedings, with assistance from lawyer Zayed bin Amjad. Manir informed the newsmen that despite his acquittal in this case, Babar will remain in jail due to his involvement in other cases. Mirza Zahidul Alam, an assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) integrated district office in Chittagong-1, filed the case against Babar on January 13, 2008, with Ramna Model Police Station.

On October 12, 2021, Judge Mohammad Shahidul Islam of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-7 sentenced Babar to eight years in prison amassing illegal wealth amounting to Tk 7.5 crore. Babar initially challenged the case and filed a writ petition with the High Court to question the legality of the lower court’s decision. Earlier, on October 30, 2007, Babar was sentenced to 17-year imprisonment for possessing illegal firearms and ammunition. He was also sentenced to death in the 10-truck arms haul and August 21 grenade attack cases. A two-time lawmaker of Netrokona-4 constituency Lutfozzaman Babar had served as the State Minister for Home Affairs during the BNP-led government from 2001 to 2006.