Dhaka, Oct 23 (V7N)- The High Court has acquitted former Home Minister Lutfuzzaman Babar in a long-standing corruption case, overturning the eight-year prison sentence previously handed down by a special judge court. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Kamrul Hossain Molla, who presided over the case in a single High Court bench. Advocate Mohammad Shishir represented Babar during the hearing.

Babar was initially convicted in October 2021 by Judge Shahidul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-7, who sentenced him to eight years in prison. Babar subsequently filed an appeal against the conviction, which led to the High Court's review and eventual acquittal.

The case against Babar dates back to the tenure of the previous caretaker government. On May 28, 2007, Babar was arrested by the coalition forces. On January 13, 2008, a corruption case was filed at Ramna Police Station for acquiring illegal wealth and providing false information about his assets. The case was filed by Mirza Zahidul Alam, Assistant Director of the Integrated District Office Chittagong-1. After an extensive investigation, Deputy Assistant Director Rupak Kumar Saha filed a charge sheet on July 16, 2008.

According to the charge sheet, Babar was accused of possessing illegal assets worth Tk 7.06 crore, despite submitting an account of Tk 6.77 crore to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). His wealth reportedly included two fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) of Tk 6.79 crore in Prime Bank and HSBC Bank, and Tk 26.4 lakh for house construction. Following this, the court framed charges against Babar, initiating the trial on August 12, 2008.

The High Court's recent decision effectively clears Babar of all charges, bringing an end to the legal proceedings after over a decade of litigation.

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