Chittagong, May 27 (bdnews24.com)—Former National Security Intelligence chief retired brigadier general Abdur Rahim, who was arrested in connection with the notorious 2004 Chittagong arms haul, gave an eight-page written statement in court on Wednesday denying his involvement.
A CID officer told bdnews24.com on the condition of anonymity that Rahim gave a 'tricky' statement, evading many issues of the arms trafficking case.
Former National Security Intelligence director, wing commander Shahabuddin, who was picked up by police in the same case, had earlier implicated Rahim, saying the latter had a meeting about the arms consignment in Dubai.
Rahim said in his statement he visited Dubai with his wife being invited by the UAE-based ARY group.
Rahim also said he had a meeting with the high commission of a South Asian country and higher echelons of their detective branch but it was no way related to the ten truckloads of illegal arms and ammunition seized by police in Chittagong in 2004.
He claimed it was a 'business meeting,' and mentioned that part of his travel to Dubai was sponsored by the ARY group.
He said he had no knowledge of the illegal arms shipment and unloading. He came to know of it after the seizure by police, he added. He also said he had met with the then state minister for home after the seizure.
According to the CID officer, Rahim did not mention links of any minister or bureaucrats of the then four-party alliance government with the incident.
Another CID officer said Rahim failed to mention many things in his court statement that he previously mentioned under interrogation during remand.
The former NSI boss submitted his statement in a two-hour session at the court of Chittagong metropolitan magistrate Md Osman Ghani on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation Department officials produced former NSI deputy director major Liakat Hossain before the court of Chittagong additional chief metropolitan magistrate M Asaduzzaman.
Investigation officer Moniruzzaman Chowdhury asked for five days to grill Liakat, saying that the confessional statement of Shahabuddin also linked Liakat to the arms case.
Liakat was brought to Chittagong on Wednesday afternoon for interrogation, after being arrested at his Dhaka residence on Tuesday by CID officials.
Another former NSI chief Rezzaqul Haidar, also in custody in connection with the case, was refused bail on Wednesday by judge Mahbubur Rahman of the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
Police seized the ten truckloads of illegal arms and ammunition at the restricted Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd jetty on the night of Apr 1 2004.
Four top NSI officials—Rahim, Haider, Shahabuddin and Liakat—and a field officer have been arrested in connection with the case so far.
NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan was first arrested based on information given by owner and managing director of Chittagong Greenways Transport, a truck rental firm.
Rahim and Haider were arrested earlier this month after being implicated in a confessional statement by Shahabuddin, also arrested previously.
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