Former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar has been released from prison. He was in prison for 17 long years.

On Thursday (January 16), he was released from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

In this regard, Dhaka Central Jail (Keraniganj) Senior Jail Superintendent Suraiya Akhter said that former Home Minister Lutfuzzaman Babar just left.

The High Court has announced the verdict acquitting former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar in the sensational 10-truck arms case.

Meanwhile, a bench comprising Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasrin Akhter of the High Court announced the verdict on Tuesday (January 14) after hearing the death reference (approval of the death sentence) and the appeals filed by the accused.

Lawyer Shishir Monir filed this application on behalf of Babar in the court seeking his acquittal. Deputy Attorney General Sultana Akhter Ruby and Assistant Attorney General Md. Asif Imran Zisan were present at the hearing for the state. Senior lawyer SM Shahjahan heard the case for the other five accused.

On December 18, the High Court acquitted six accused including former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar, Mohsin Talukder, Enamul Haque, and Razzakul Haider in the much-discussed case of smuggling 10 trucks of weapons in Chattogram.

The court reduced the sentences of the other six accused sentenced to death to 10 years in prison. In addition, Paresh Barua, the military commander of the Indian separatist organization ULFA, was sentenced to life imprisonment instead of death sentence.

Lutfuzzaman Babar was elected as an independent candidate from Netrokona-4 constituency in the fifth national election in 1991 with the pineapple symbol. Then, on 15 February 1996, he was elected as a member of parliament from Netrokona-4 constituency as a candidate of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the sixth and eighth parliamentary elections of 2001.

He served as the State Minister for Home Affairs in the eighth parliament.

He contested the elections from Netrokona-4 constituency as a candidate of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the seventh parliamentary elections of 12 June 1996 and as an independent candidate in the ninth parliamentary elections of 2008 under the pineapple symbol, but was defeated. 

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens Committee have demanded that the July Uprising declaration be announced in order to officially recognize the July Uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina's government and preserve the documents.

Arif Sohel, member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, made this known in a written statement at a press conference on Wednesday (January 15) night.

In his written statement, he said that the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement had raised the demand to announce the July Uprising declaration to give national and international recognition to the July Uprising.

Then, on December 30, it was announced that the interim government would prepare this declaration in collaboration with all political parties. But we have not seen any visible action from it in the last 15 days, which has been strongly condemned.

Regarding the decision taken by the government, he said that the day before the January 15 ultimatum of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement ended, the government said that they would hold discussions with political parties on this issue. He called for the proclamation to include statements that capture the context of the July uprising.

He said that a delegation from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens Committee will meet the chief adviser.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement also called for political parties to put aside their differences and unite on the Bangladesh issue.

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has summoned the bank accounts of 14 more journalists. At the same time, it has been instructed to provide information on the bank accounts of their privately owned companies.

A senior BFIU official confirmed this information on Wednesday and said that instructions have been sent to banks and financial institutions in this regard.

The journalists summoned are AP Bureau Chief Julhas Alam, UNB Advisory Editor Farid Hossain, Bangladesh Journal Editor Shahjahan Sardar, Dhaka Tribune Staff Reporter Ali Asif Shaon, freelance journalist (former Press Minister) Nadim Quadir, DBC News Senior Reporter Rajib Ghosh, Daily People's Life (former BSS) Editor Md. Azizul Haque Bhuiyan, BSS Sports In-charge Swapan Basu, DBC News Staff Reporter Tahmida Sadek Jessy, Channel I Senior Reporter Niladri Shekhar Kundu, Bangla TV Former (Desh TV) Nazrul Kabir, Gazi TV News Editor Iqbal Karim Nishan, Green TV's Saju Rahman, Banglavision's (Former) Aminur Rashid.

The BFIU directive further states that banks and financial institutions have been asked to send the relevant information or documents of the persons whose accounts have been summoned to the BFIU, such as account opening forms, KYC and transaction statements, etc., within seven working days from the date of the letter.

It is worth noting that after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, the BFIU summoned and seized the bank accounts of several professionals and many journalists.

The country’s new government will be installed in the US Senate on January 20. The change will not have any impact on Bangladesh’s relations with the US, said Md. Towhid Hossain, the foreign affairs adviser to the interim government.

He is going to visit China on January 20. He expressed this opinion in response to a question from journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday (January 15).

In response to a question on whether the interim government is in contact with the new US administration, Towhid Hossain said, Bangladesh’s relations with the US or such big countries will not be government-specific. We will see if the new government comes and they may have some statements. There is nothing to speculate about. It does not matter when I would go to China. I think that relations with Bangladesh will not stumble due to the change of government in the US. We think that it will run smoothly.

Referring to a flowing trend in relations, the adviser said, “Our relations with three countries, India, China and the US, are very important.” We will definitely maintain a balanced relationship. We do not want to displease anyone. But we will maintain relations with them to protect our own interests.

Regarding this, the foreign affairs adviser will go to China on his first bilateral visit on January 20. After the visit, he will return home on January 24.