Bangla arrests 2 ex-intel chiefs in ULFA-linked arms haul case

Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, May 16 (PTI) Bangladesh's two former army
generals, who had worked as the country's intelligence chiefs,
were arrested today for their suspected involvement in an arms
haul linked to India's separatist United Liberation Front of
Asom (ULFA).

The former chiefs of the country's main National
Security Intelligence (NSI) were arrested in a pre-dawn raid
at their residences today, officials said.

"We have arrested (retired) major general Rezzakul
Haidar and (retd) brigadier general Abdur Rahim for their
involvement in the 2004 arms smuggling case," a Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) official told PTI.

He said the former generals would be taken to the
southeastern port city of Chittagong, where security forces
had seized 10 truckloads of weapons believed to be destined to
the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) hideouts in
north-eastern India five years ago.

No further details were immediately available.

Rahim was the NSI chief during the seizure of weapons,
while Haidar succeeded him as the top boss of the main
intelligence agency during the tenure of BNP's Khaleda Zia.

Chowdhury, however, was removed and sent to retirement
instantly after emergency was imposed in the country.

The arrests were made after a detained NSI director made
a confessional statement before a Chittagong court reportedly
naming several high profile people in the then BNP-led four
party coalition government.

Reports said former NSI director and air force wing
commander Shahabuddin Ahmed, also implicated several
"foreigners" in the arms haul as he appeared before a court
after six days of interrogation in police remand.

The arrested NSI officials allegedly played a key role
along some policemen in the planned transportation of the
weapons from the port city to Assam but the case was shelved
for years after the "accidental" seizure of the weapons.

The past military-backed government of chief adviser
Fakhruddin Ahmed ordered a reinvestigation last year amid
allegations that there was a deliberate attempt on the part of
the then administration to suppress facts.

The 10 truck loads of weapons included over 27,000
grenades, 150 rocket launchers, over 11 lakh pieces of
ammunition and 1,100 sub machine guns, that were unloaded at a
government jetty on April 2004 but were seized by security
agencies despite the alleged involvement of several police and
intelligence officials in the smuggling bid.


Investigators earlier said two major Chittagong-based
businessmen, accused in the case, had indicated involvement of
political bigwigs in the deal five years after the seizure.

Investigators have so far questioned 26 navy officials,
who were serving at that time in Coastguard on deputation
along with several other witnesses.

"We have got the leads from confessional statements (of
the suspects) that the weapon consignment was meant for ULFA,"
public prosecutor Kamal Uddin told newsmen earlier this year.
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