Bangladesh HC commuted death sentence of ULFA commander...
The bangladesh High court on Wednesday, 18 december acquitted former home minister Luftozzaman Babar and five other accused convicted in the arms smuggling case against India. Babar, who was a minister in the BNP government, was sentenced to death by the Chittagong Metropolitan court in 2014. Babar's lawyer claims that the charges against him were motivated by political malice.
This case dates back to 2004, when bangladesh Police seized 10 trucks full of weapons. These weapons were to be sent to the indian militant organization United Liberation Front of assam (ULFA).
Change in the sentence of ULFA commander Paresh Barua
The bangladesh High court has changed the death sentence of ULFA commander Paresh Barua to life imprisonment. Paresh Barua, who heads ULFA-I, a faction of ULFA, is still absconding, and his whereabouts are not known. ULFA signed a peace agreement with the government of india in 2023, but Paresh Barua was not a part of this agreement. During the hearing of this case in november 2024, the process of revision of the sentence of the accused began.
14 convicts were sentenced in 2014 for arms smuggling
In 2014, a bangladesh court sentenced 14 people to death in the arms smuggling case. These convicts included former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur rahman Nizami, Luftozzaman Babar, Paresh Barua, and other senior officials. Motiur rahman was hanged in 2016 for crimes against humanity.
Turmoil in India-Bangladesh relations
After the formation of Sheikh Hasina's government in 2009, bangladesh took strict action against the militant groups active in India's Northeast. After the recent fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, there are signs of change in Bangladesh's political landscape. india has long accused bangladesh of supporting militant groups in the Northeast. Now, amid the new circumstances, there are discussions about possible tensions in relations between india and Bangladesh.
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