The High Court on Wednesday overturned the eight-year jail sentence imposed on former state minister for home affairs, Lutfozzaman Babar, in a case lodged in 2008 over amassing illegal wealth and concealing information in wealth statement.
Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah, presiding over a single-member bench, acquitted Babar, a BNP leader, of all corruption charges.
The Dhaka Special Judge鈥檚 Court on October 12, 2021 jailed Babar for five years for accumulating Tk 6.79 crore in illegal wealth and an additional three years for concealing Tk 26 lakh in wealth statement.
The High Court delivered its verdict after allowing Babar鈥檚 appeal, dismissing the lower court鈥檚 conviction.
The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the case on January 13, 2008, accusing Babar of hiding assets worth over Tk 7 crore.
Babar鈥檚 wealth statement, submitted to the ACC on July 23, 2007, allegedly omitted the cost of constructing a building at his village home in Netrokona, valued at Tk 26.42 lakh, in his declared Tk 67 crore worth of movable and immovable property.
An allegation that Babar received USD 10,000 (equivalent to Tk 67 lakh) in his Prime Bank account in Gulshan could not be proven, as noted in the lower court鈥檚 verdict, according to his lawyer, Mohammad Shishir Manir.
Despite the High Court ruling, Babar remains in jail as he faces 14 other cases, including one in which he has been sentenced to death and another where he received a 14-year jail sentence under the Arms Act, Shishir added.
He said that the Army-led joint force arrested Babar on July 30, 2008 during the military-backed interim regime.
Lawyer AKM Fazlul Haque, appearing for the commission, argued for upholding Babar鈥檚 jail sentence.
