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Lutfozzaman Babar, a former state minister of home affairs under the BNP government, has been released from jail after more than 17 years.
Family members, party leaders, and supporters have already gathered outside the jail in anticipation of his release, as per media reports.
On Apr 1, 2004, a consignment of 10 trucks of weapons was seized from the CUFL Ghat in Chattogram. Two cases were filed at the Karnaphuli Police Station in the port city over the incident, alleging smuggling under the Arms Act and the Special Powers Act.
In the case filed under the Arms Act, all the accused in the case, including former industries minister and Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, former state minister for home affairs Babar, military commander of Indian separatist organisation ULFA leader Paresh and senior intelligence agencies Liaquat, were sentenced to life in prison.
The convicts filed separate appeals in the High Court in 2014 against their sentences from prison.
On Tuesday, Babar was acquitted from all the lawsuits filed against him. After completing all formalities, he walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj at 1:48 pm on Thursday.