DHAKA, April 20 – A top Bangladeshi intelligence official has been arrested in connection with the sensational seizures of 10 truckloads of weapons, believed to be destined for ULFA militants in Assam, reports PTI. National Security Intelligence field officer Akbar Hossain Khan was arrested as investigators found clues of his involvement in the arms haul, a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) official told PTI.
The weapons were suspected to be bound for ULFA hideouts in northeastern India.
“Khan is now being interrogated after he was remanded in custody for two days under a court order following his arrest,” the official said.
The 10 truckloads of weapons, which included over 27,000 grenades, 150 rocket launchers, over 11 lakh ammunition and 1,100 sub-machine guns, were seized after the arms were unloaded at a government jetty on April 2004.
Investigators earlier said one Hafizur Rahman organised the unloading of the weapons from a ship to two fishing vessels in the sea and then loaded them in 10 trucks after their landing at a state-run fertiliser factory in Chittagong on instructions of ULFA leader Paresh Barua.
They had earlier questioned 26 Navy officials, who were serving at that time in Coast Guard. The officials could be called for further interrogation.
The arrest came weeks after the investigations indicated involvement of political bigwigs in the weapon haul, giving a new twist to the case.
Officials said Hossain had reportedly hired the 10 trucks under the fake name of National Security Intelligence (NSI) field officer ‘Abul Hossain’ to carry the weapons.
Officials said there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the then administration under former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party to suppress facts in the case to weaken it.
“We have got the leads from confessional statements (of the suspects) that the weapon consignment was meant for ULFA,” public prosecutor Kamal Uddin last month told reporters after two businessmen and major suspects in the case — reportedly engaged by ULFA for transporting the weapons to India — gave confessional statement before a court.
The Prothom Alo newspaper earlier said that their own investigation had found that the ULFA had planned to smuggle the weapons using the Bangladesh territory.
The paper also named a lawmaker who is now hiding abroad to evade the murder charge of a television model.
Source: ASSAM TRIBUNE
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The weapons were suspected to be bound for ULFA hideouts in northeastern India.
“Khan is now being interrogated after he was remanded in custody for two days under a court order following his arrest,” the official said.
The 10 truckloads of weapons, which included over 27,000 grenades, 150 rocket launchers, over 11 lakh ammunition and 1,100 sub-machine guns, were seized after the arms were unloaded at a government jetty on April 2004.
Investigators earlier said one Hafizur Rahman organised the unloading of the weapons from a ship to two fishing vessels in the sea and then loaded them in 10 trucks after their landing at a state-run fertiliser factory in Chittagong on instructions of ULFA leader Paresh Barua.
They had earlier questioned 26 Navy officials, who were serving at that time in Coast Guard. The officials could be called for further interrogation.
The arrest came weeks after the investigations indicated involvement of political bigwigs in the weapon haul, giving a new twist to the case.
Officials said Hossain had reportedly hired the 10 trucks under the fake name of National Security Intelligence (NSI) field officer ‘Abul Hossain’ to carry the weapons.
Officials said there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the then administration under former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party to suppress facts in the case to weaken it.
“We have got the leads from confessional statements (of the suspects) that the weapon consignment was meant for ULFA,” public prosecutor Kamal Uddin last month told reporters after two businessmen and major suspects in the case — reportedly engaged by ULFA for transporting the weapons to India — gave confessional statement before a court.
The Prothom Alo newspaper earlier said that their own investigation had found that the ULFA had planned to smuggle the weapons using the Bangladesh territory.
The paper also named a lawmaker who is now hiding abroad to evade the murder charge of a television model.
Source: ASSAM TRIBUNE
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