Aslam, who will have to stand trial in 16 other criminal cases, appeared in court at 11:55am on count of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and stood in the dock, calm and composed.

Judge Mohammad Rezaul Islam of the Metropolitan Special Tribunal-6 said in his verdict that a state-declared criminal like Aslam should be punished to set an example.

The judge read out the highlights of the 34-page judgement in 25 minutes and said the charges pressed against the convict were proved beyond doubt.

Islam observed that people usually feel discouraged to give statements against a state-declared criminal, but the prosecution witnesses in the May 1997 case against Aslam gave statements before court without hesitation.

Both the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments on November 1 after the court recorded statements of 11 of 13 prosecution witnesses.

Aslam was arrested at his DOHS home on May 20, 1997 after a case was filed with the Cantonment Police Station.

A team of detectives led by AC Akram Hussain, now serving his jail term in the Rubel murder case, seized a pistol, a shotgun, a shooter gun, a revolver and six bullets from him.

The investigation officer pressed charges against Aslam on July 10, 1997 and the court framed charges against him on January 14, 1998 before the trial began on September 14 the same year.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Mohammad Giasuddin dealt with the case on behalf of the state, while advocate Saidur Rahman Manik defended the accused.

Another court in Dhaka cleared Aslam of charges in an arms case on October 9.