Masterminds of Bogra arms haul still untraced

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The masterminds behind the huge ammunition and explosives hauls in Kahalu and Dupchachia upazilas of Bogra have remained untraced for over four years since the seizure.

The proceedings of the four cases filed in connection with the arms haul have remained stalled since February 29, 2005 following a High Court order after a revision petition filed by one of the accused.

Investigators submitted charge sheets of the cases after three months of the recovery, basing on “half-hearted” probes. Under political influence the investigators submitted the charge sheets to court to victimise political opponents rather than arrest the masterminds, sources said.

Police high-ups meanwhile said they are planning to take necessary steps for further investigation into the seizure.

Deputy Inspector General of Rajshahi Range AKM Shaidul Hoque said through the additional inspector general of CID they will appeal to restart the proceedings of the cases.

“Once the proceedings start, we will take steps for further investigation into the case,” he told The Daily Star on Wednesday.

Kahalu police on the night of June 27 recovered 62,100 bullets and 115kg RDX explosives under stacks of pineapples in an unclaimed truck parked close to a brick kiln of Yasin Ali in Jogarpara village in Kahalu.

After a large-scale search the next day, the police recovered more bullets and explosives, totalling 99,999 bullets and 174kg RDX from different areas of Kahalu and Dupchachia.

The investigators have not yet succeeded in detecting the people behind the scenes, the destination of the seized ammunition and the motive for the build-up.

The charge sheets came under sharp criticism as investigation officer CID’s Assistant Superintendent of Police Munshi Atiqur Rahman submitted them rather hurriedly.

In the charge sheets, he named a few petty leaders of the front organisations of the then opposition Awami League (AL) that raised the question if it was possible for such low-profile political leaders to smuggle in such a huge amount of bullets and explosives.

The chargesheeted are local Awami Krishak League activist Akhlaqur Rahman, his wife Anwara Begum Bithi, truck driver Altu Mia, Ashish Kumar Burman and Bogra Jubo League leader Atiqur Rahman Dulu. Akhlaqur Rahman has been absconding since filing of the cases.

All the charge sheets say the ammunition and explosives were smuggled into Bangladesh under the supervision of leaders of the then main opposition Awami League. The charge sheets blamed the AL leaders for conspiring to unseat the government by spreading disorder.

However, the investigating officer could not specifically mention any AL leader’s name.

The court recorded statements of three arrestees under section 164, but none of them mentioned the names of the smugglers.

Police said the findings in the charge sheets are almost the same, but the first information reports (FIR), statements of the witnesses and the charge sheets differ from each other.

According to the FIRs of two cases, Mozam Mondal saw Pintu and Sohel at the brick kiln on the night of June 27 and Mozam called out another witness Altaf as the conversations between Pintu and Sohel seemed suspicious.

Challenged by Mozam and Altaf, Pintu claimed that the truck was loaded with machine parts, which would be kept in a friend’s house because of hartal the next day.

The FIRs said Mozam and Altaf informed Dupchachia police upon resistance from Pintu when they wanted to see what was inside the truck.

However, the charge sheets say Mozam and Altaf and other villagers together questioned Pintu and he said Jubo League leader Atiqur Rahman Dulu sent the machine parts in the truck.

The FIRs say Altaf informed the police station but the charge sheets say he saw sacks full of bullets in the truck and the accused fled after he shouted.

Police said the statements of the witnesses claiming to have seen pineapples used to cover the ammunition and explosives raised suspicion. The site where the truck was parked was dark and the sacks were tied, so Altaf could not have seen the bullets inside, the police explained.

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