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'Politically motivated'

Defence, families denounce verdict; prosecution says justice ensured

Arun Bikash Dey, Chittagong
Families and the defence of those found guilty of smuggling in 10-truckloads of arms and ammunition in 2004 said the judgement giving them the capital punishment was politically motivated.
The verdict will be challenged at the High Court, family members said.
Hearing the court announce the death sentence, many burst into tears at the courtroom. They said they were "deprived of justice".
The prosecution, however, said justice had been served through the verdict.
Masud Ahmed Talukdar, a defence counsel of former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, said, "He [Babar] has been given punishment due to political reasons. We will move to the High Court to challenge the verdict."
Shahadat Hossain, one of the defence team of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, claimed no evidence of his client's involvement had been placed at the court. He also spoke of filing an appeal with the HC.
"We [thedefence] talked to Nizami after the verdict was pronounced. He told me that "it was a politically motivated verdict"," Shahadat said.
Ahmad Quamrul Islam Chowdhury Sazzad, a lawyer of former director general of National Security Intelligence Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, said, "The verdict has been given according to the will of the government."
Rezzakul is one of the five intelligence officials sentenced to death.
Abu Taher, a lawyer of Deen Mohammad, who had supplied labourers to unload the arms and ammunition, said his client had not got the "minimum justice" and that the defence
would challenge the verdict.
Two cabinet members and the members of the intelligence agencies had been responsible for maintaining security of the state, public prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahmed said, but instead they had committed such activities that posed a threat to state security.
"The verdict established the clear message that a person, no matter how powerful he may be, will be punished for involvement in illegal activities."
Kamal added the prosecution would decide whether to appeal against the acquittals after going through the full verdict.
Selima Sultana, wife of Akbar Hossain, the then field officer of NSI, was seen crying inconsolably after the pronouncement of the death sentence to Akbar.
"The state brought in those arms. What is the fault of the state officials?"
Minwara Begum, wife of Deen Mohammd, was also seen in tears.
"Where will I go with my three children now?" Minwara sobbed.
"I have lost everything. I am ruined," she said, adding she would have no other way but to beg on the streets with her children.
Deen Mohammad has two daughters and a son. The eldest daughter is a student of BBA in a college in Chittagong city, the second daughter is a candidate of Secondary School Certificate exams and the only son is a student of class nine.
"My husband was a simple labourer. Could a labourer be a smuggler!"
Osman, son of Hazi Md Abdus Sobhan, owner of one of the trawlers that carried arms from a ship to the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd, kept mum after the verdict had been delivered.
He could not speak and was just weeping.
The wife of Shahabuddin, the then NSI director [security], also could not say a word in response.
Meanwhile, pro-Jamaat-BN P lawyers brought out a procession on the court premises protesting the verdict.