Former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar walked free from Keraniganj Central Jail on Thursday (January 16) at 1:48 PM after spending 17 years behind bars. Babar's release followed his acquittal in all cases filed against him, removing the final legal obstacles to his freedom.

News of his release drew crowds of BNP supporters and residents from his hometown in Netrakona to the central jail early Thursday morning. They gathered to celebrate his freedom and express their support for the former lawmaker and minister.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday (January 14), the High Court acquitted Lutfozzaman Babar in the high-profile case involving the smuggling of 10 truckloads of arms. The verdict was delivered by a bench comprising Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akhter. This acquittal marked the final case against him being overturned, clearing the way for his release.

Babar was arrested on May 28, 2007, during a tumultuous political period in Bangladesh. Over the years, he faced multiple convictions and sentences in different cases. However, following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, in the wake of widespread student and public protests, appeals hearings led to his acquittals one by one.

Lutfozzaman Babar began his political journey as an independent candidate in the 1991 Fifth National Parliamentary Elections, contesting from the Netrakona-4 constituency with the pineapple symbol. Later, he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and won the Netrakona-4 seat in both the Sixth National Parliamentary Election on February 15, 1996, and the Eighth National Parliamentary Election in 2001. He served as the State Minister for Home Affairs during the BNP-led government of the Eighth Parliament.

His release marks a significant chapter in his political career, which was marked by both achievements and controversies. Despite the long incarceration, his supporters have shown unwavering loyalty, evident in the celebrations surrounding his release.