Assam: ULFA-I Chief Paresh Baruah’s Sentence Reduced In 2004 Arms Smuggling Case

DHAKA: In a landmark verdict, a high court bench in Bangladesh acquitted on Thursday former junior home minister Lutfozzaman Babar and five others from charges in the 2004 Chattogram arms haul case, citing a lack of evidence. The case has been one of the country's biggest arms seizures ever.

The court notably reduced Paresh Baruah's death sentence to life in jail. Baruah is the elusive head of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), which has been banned. Operating from a foreign location, he was implicated as a key player in the weaponry smuggling operation during the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami dictatorship.

The Chattogram arms haul, which brought tensions in the region as the weapons were said to be meant for militant activities across the border in India, was connected with smuggling to high-ranking officials and indicated Bangladesh as a transit point for insurgent activities.

This verdict has come at a very crucial time in Bangladesh when the country is passing through a political transition. The ruling Awami League has been overthrown and there is a caretaker government in place led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The new government is being questioned over its stance on minority rights and regional security, in light of the increase in violence against the Hindu minority in Bangladesh.

The legal development could have long-term implications in the India-Bangladesh ties, particularly on anti-terror measures and cross-border security. According to commentators, the judgment shows that the cases from history cannot be dealt with as merely a rule of law problem.

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