Daccanomics
A Sylhet court has granted bail to former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar in the murder case of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria.
The bail was granted by Sylhet’s Speedy Trial Tribunal judge Swapan Kumar Sarkar. Babar’s lawyer, Md Shahiduzzaman, confirmed the news, stating that Babar sought bail on the grounds of illness, and the court approved it after a hearing.
Shah AMS Kibria was killed in a grenade attack at a public meeting in Habiganj Sadar Upazila on January 27, 2005. Babar, along with former Sylhet city mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury and other BNP leaders, was accused in the case.
While other accused, including Ariful Haque, appeared in court, Babar could not due to being imprisoned in Dhaka for multiple convictions. As a result, the judge granted him bail.
Babar was initially arrested on May 28, 2007, after the fall of the BNP government, with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filing a case against him in 2008 for illegally acquiring wealth and concealing information. He has also been convicted in other cases, including receiving a death sentence in the August 21 grenade attack case. Babar was known for his influence during the BNP-led government formed in 2001, often being at the center of discussions during his time as state minister for home affairs.
