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| Bangladesh |
| Chittagong arms shipment: Top intel men partners in crime |
| 2009-03-09 |
| The then high officials of two top intelligence agencies had knowledge of transporting the 10 truckloads of arms and ammunition, Hafizur Rahman, the main accused in the case, told the court last week. An investigation has also revealed some proofs in support of his confessional statements, reported Bangla daily Prothom Alo. National Security Intelligence (NSI) Field Officer Akbar Hossain rented trucks to carry the arms before the consignment was transported to the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL), sources say. This officer was attached to the special wing of the NSI Director General in Dhaka from Chittagong two months before the arms seizure. Conventionally, those working at the special wing are considered sincere and close to the DG. Despite the fact that Akbar was transferred to Dhaka, he mostly used to stay in Chittagong in the end of March 2004. According to sources, he stayed in Chittagong continuously for a week before the arms seizure. During that time, he rented seven trucks and a truck crane at Greenways Transportation Limited in Kadamtali in the port city. He told Greenways the trucks would be used to carry fertilisers from CUFL and were taken to the CUFL jetty in the dark night of April 1, 2004. Greenways Transport owner Mohammad Habibur Rahman said, "NSI officer Akbar and another person rented trucks from my company." He added, "Many people rent trucks from us. The NSI man also did the same." He gave his written statements to the investigation officials, Habibur Rahman added. During his stay in Patuakhali, Akbar denied his involvement with the arms smuggling. When Greenways Transport owners' statement was referred, he said, "What is the benefit of dragging the past? Can a tiny official like me do something of his own?" Akbar is now stationed at the NSI Headquarters. Asked about taking actions regarding renting trucks by Akbar, the then director general of NSI Brig Gen (retd) M Abdur Rahim said, "Why should I take actions...? the director who transferred him to the special wing is supposed to take actions." He referred to the then NSI director (security) Wing Commander Shahab Uddin. Contacted, Shahab said, "Why should I take punitive actions? The DG transferred Akbar to the special wing bypassing my opinions. He could say better why he did that." Statements of these two former NSI officials indicate that transferring Akbar to the special wing in Dhaka and renting trucks have a connection, reported the Bangla daily. Sources say the previous Awami League government sent M Abdur Rahim to forced retirement. Following that he started real estate business and later the BNP-Jamaat alliance government appointed him as the director general of NSI on contract basis. Rahim said, "We learned of the matter only after seizing the ten trucks with arms, not before that." Suspension of five top officials, including three directors of NSI, in one and a half years into the arms seizure is something mysterious. Some NSI officials said they were suspended in fear that they might have leaked out the information regarding the arms smuggling. Shahab Uddin said, "I myself also don't know why I was suspended. I was staying abroad for training during the seizure of the ammunition. On my returning home, I knew that I have no job. It was injustice to me." On suspension of most of the NSI officials, he said, "It was the decision from the government high-ups. I had nothing to do. I know nothing about the link between suspension and the arms smuggling." On the night when the seizure was made, Ulfa leader Paresh Barua was supposed to talk with the main accused of the case Hafizur Rahman over phone, but Rahman did not clearly tell the court if Barua talked to him. Asked about it, the then chief of DGFI Major Gen Sadek Hasan Rumi said the statement of Hafiz was not right. He also said the government did not assign DGFI to investigate the case. CID Senior Assistant Super Mohammad Ismail Hossain, one of the investigation officers of the case, recorded in December last the statement of Rezzakul Haider, director of GDFI counter intelligence bureau. Rezzakul Haider said, "I was included in the government committee after the arms seizure. That is the reason why the investigation officer recorded my statement. I told him everything I knew. Besides, we submitted a written report to the government. Due to short time, it was not possible for us to identify the sources of arms, who were involved behind the smuggling, and what was their purpose." |
| Posted by:Fred |