Babar walks out of jail after over 17 years
Former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar has been released from jail after more than 17 years. He walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj at 1:48 pm on Thursday.
Suraiya Akter, Senior Jail Superintendent, confirmed the release to Jago News.
His wife, Tahmina Zaman Shrabani, said, "After 17 long years, justice has been established through the court's verdict."
Following news of Babar’s release, BNP leaders, activists, and people from his native Netrakona area gathered in large numbers in front of the jail.
In a separate case related to the 10-truck arms smuggling incident in Chattogram, Babar was acquitted of life imprisonment last Tuesday in a weapons-related case. The High Court bench, comprising Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akhter, delivered the verdict, clearing Babar of all charges against him.
Babar was arrested on May 28, 2007, and subsequently sentenced in various cases, including death sentences in two cases and life imprisonment in one.
However, following the fall of the Awami League government in August last year after a mass uprising, Babar was acquitted in a series of appeals. On October 23, he was cleared of an 8-year sentence in a corruption case, and on December 1, he was acquitted in the August 21 grenade attack case, in which he had previously been sentenced to death by the court.