Listed top criminal Sweden Aslam has been acquitted in an arms case but his accomplice Shariful Islam sentenced to 24 years' rigorous imprisonment in the same case.

The Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Dhaka, delivered the judgement yesterday.

The judgement said though the firearms and ammunition were recovered on the basis of information and statements of Sweden Aslam and Shariful Islam, the latter kept those in his possession for a longer period than Aslam, who gave those to him . So, Aslam was acquitted of the charges while Shariful was convicted.

Shariful has been absconding since coming out of jail on bail.

Proceedings of the case against the other accused Billal-- were stayed on an order of the High Court. Judge Mohammad Habibur Rahman started reading out important portions of the 22-page verdict in a crowded courtroom 20 minutes before Aslam was produced in the court.

He began reading out the judgement at 12:15 pm and Aslam, an accused in 16 other criminal cases, was brought to the dock at 12:35 pm.

This created a mixed reaction among lawyers, litigants and Journalists who thronged the court room to hear the verdict.

Lawyers noted that judgement in a case should be read out in presence of the accused.

In the case filed with Motijheel Police Station, it was alleged that Sweden Aslam was arrested from a residence at the DOHS in the city's cantonment area on May 20, 1997. A team of detective police led by AC Akram Hussain, now sentenced to life-term in the Rubel murder case, recovered one pistol, one stengun, one shooter gun and a revolver and six bullets from his possession.

While on remand, he gave a statement to the investigation officer (IO) of the case that there were huge arms and ammunition in the possession of his accomplices Shariful and Billal. Shariful was then arrested from Shyamoli in the city's Mohammadpur area on May 25, 1997 and he was placed on remand for interrogation, the case mentioned.

Later, police raided Billal's West Malibagh residence and recovered six revolvers and 98 bullets. Billal fled sensing police presence. Acting on information received from Aslam and Shariful, police made the recovery.

On May 29, Shariful gave a confessional statement before a magistrate stating that Swapan, another accomplice of Aslam, came to his (Shariful) Banani residence on May 7 and gave a packet and said Aslam gave it. He also said he went to his friend Billal's Malibagh residence at about 4:00 pm on May 22 and gave the packet to him.

And the trial began on July 3, 2000.