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Political partners in crime to be caught

Vows govt as 2 ex-NSI chiefs remanded in 10-truck ammo haul

Star Report
The government yesterday expressed its firm stand on bringing to book all political bigwigs and high government officials if investigation finds their involvement with the smuggling of 10-truck-load of arms and ammunition in Chittagong in 2004.
"Anyone linked to the incident using political identity, government position and state mechanisms will be brought to book The government will not spare anyone," State Minister for HomeTanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj said yesterday at his office one day after the arrest of two former National Security Intelligence (NSI) directors general.
The arrested NSI DGs--Maj Gen (retd) Rezzaqul Haider Chowdhury and Brig Gen (retd) M Abdur Rahim--were yesterday placed on a three-day remand each in connection with the sensational Chittagong arms haul case.
Referring to the confessional statement of arrested former NSI director (security) Sahab Uddin, the public prose-
cutor said both the former NSI chiefs helped transport the deadly consignment through Bangladesh from China before it was hauled at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Company Ltd jetty in the early
hours of April 02,2004.
Our Chittagong office says as journalists took chances to ask Abdur Rahim a few questions during the court proceedings, he told them that Sahab Uddin implicated him intentionally to save himself. He was holding the holy Quran on the chest during the whole time.
At one stage of the remand hearing, Rezzaqul Haider wanted to speaft to defend himself, but the court did not allow him as the state lawyer raised objection saying the defence lawyers had already told whatever he had to say.
The court of Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mahabubur Rahman granted three days' remand against the Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) prayer for five days' remand each, rejecting defence petitions for cancellation of the remand prayers.
From the court the CID took both the former NSI chiefs to its Chittagong divisional headquarters at Dampara Police Lines in the city for interrogation.
The two former NSI chiefs were
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arrested early Saturday at their residences in Dhaka. Chittagong CID took them to flu-port city on that night.
An attempt was made during the rule of BNP-Jamaat alliance government to save those involved in the case by submitting a flawed charge sheet.
State Minister Sohel Taj told reporters yesterday that those who had tried to divert the Incident will also be brought to justice.
Our Cliittagong office adds: The two former cliiefs of NSI were taken to the court at 11:45am yesterday amid tight security.
Public Prosecutor (PP) Kamal Uddin moved the remand petition on behalf of investigation officer (IO) of the case Muniruzzaman Chowdhury, senior ASP of CID, when the remand hearing began at around 3:15pm.
Sahab Uddin in his confessional statement said former NSI DG Brigadier General (retd) Abdur Rahim held several meetings with the UAE-based ARY group that is involved in firearms business, in Dhaka and Dubai.
According to Sahab Uddin's confessional statement, Rahim received a Mobile Monitoring System and also commitment from ARY group for help in setting up a private TVchannel.
The then DGFI director (Counter-Intelligence Bureau) Rezzaqul Haider, who later succeeded Abdur Rahim as the NSI chief, also had close links with United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) operational wing Chief Paresh Barua who used the name 'Ahmed' to hide his identity.
Rezzaqul took Paresh (Ahmed) to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka to meet Sahab Uddin, PP Kamal Uddin told the court quoting Sahab Uddin's confessional statement.
The PP said the two former NSI chiefs had not only refrained from protecting the country's interest but also acted against the country by helping in the arrangement of transport of the
consignment of illegal arms and ammunition.
It's not a simple criminal case; rather it should have been regarded as a sedition case, the PPsaid.
The two needed to be questioned further after taking them on remand to find out whether any other component of the state machinery was involved in it.
Opposing the remand prayer, defence lawyer advocate Nazim Uddin Chowdhury said Rczzaqul Haider was one of the eight DGFI directors at the time of the arms haul and was not supposed to shoulder all the responsibilities alone.
On behalf of former NSI chief Abdur Rahim, advocate Khorshed Alam Chowdhury said nothing could be proved against his client through Sahab Uddin's confessional statement, which, according to the lawyer, was obtained by force.
Hearing both the sides, the court granted three day's re mand for the two.