Dhaka, Oct 30 (bdnews24.com) – A special tribunal Tuesday convicted former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar of illegally possessing firearm and ammunition and sentenced him to 17 years in jail.
Judge Syed Zahed Mansur of Special Tribunal 9 for Dhaka handed down the verdict at midday.
A team of joint forces seized four firearms and a cache of bullets in a raid on his Gulshan home on May 28, but he had no papers for one of them, a revolver.
Babar is in jail now.
The former junior but powerful minister was awarded 10 years for possession of the deadly weapon and seven years for the bullets.
The judge in his verdict said the highest punishment in such a case was life in prison but Babar had been given a reduced term as he was sick and being treated at hospital.
Sub-inspector Kabir Hossain of Gulshan Police Station filed a case as Babar failed to show the security officials any valid document for a seized revolver and its 25 bullets during the search in his home.
Kabir charged Babar in the court on June 23.
As many as 14 people testified against Babar, whose counsels had termed the charges "false".
But the additional public prosecutor for Dhaka metropolitan area had earlier told the court that the former state minister should be handed down life in prison.
Babar submitted a statement in writing to the court on Oct 7, pleading his innocence.
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