Bangladesh releases Islamist leader linked to anti-India smuggling

Dhaka

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, released former minister Lutfozzaman Babar on Thursday, drawing sharp criticism for what many see as a move that emboldens radical elements.

Babar, previously the Minister of State for Home under Khaleda Zia's BNP-Jamaat alliance, was convicted for his role in a 2004 grenade attack targeting former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and for smuggling arms to India’s banned separatist group ULFA. He had been serving death and life sentences since his 2007 arrest under the Arms and Special Powers Acts.

Last month, the High Court controversially acquitted Babar and reduced ULFA chief Paresh Baruah’s sentence to life imprisonment. Critics, including Hussain Saddam of the Bangladesh Students' League, condemned the decision, stating it ignored overwhelming evidence and jeopardized regional security.

The Yunus government, which took power after Hasina’s fall in August, faces accusations of politicizing justice. Reports suggest plans to free Syed Zia-ul Haque, a former army officer linked to Al Qaeda and wanted by the US. The US State Department had offered a $5 million reward for Zia’s capture for his involvement in a 2015 Dhaka attack that killed American writer Avijit Roy.

Zia reportedly returned to Bangladesh on a Pakistani passport after visa restrictions eased. His acquittal bid is pending review by a tribunal headed by his father-in-law, sparking further controversy.