Sources in the intelligence agencies said the 'godfathers' behind the smuggling of over one lakh bullets and about 200 kilograms of explosives were not named in the charge sheets under pressure from political high-ups.

Police said the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) made no real efforts to nab the smugglers of the ammunition and explosives, seized from an unclaimed truck parked close to a brick-kiln of one Yasin Ali in Jogarpara village in Kahalu, Bogra, on June 27.

The charge sheets of the four cases, filed over the seizure, were submitted to court in a hurry apparently to victimise political opponents rather than arrest the masterminds.

Initially, Kahalu police were investigating the cases, but they were handed over to the CID on July 16.

Of the six accused listed in the first information reports (FIRs), three were arrested and Syed Akhlakur Rahman Pintu, Ashish Dev Barma and Atiqur Rahman Dulu have been evading arrest. The arrestees are Pintu's wife Anwara Khanam Bithi, Harun-or-Rashid Jalal and Altu Mian.

Also, Samrat and Boss, named in the chargesheets, remained beyond the law enforcers' dragnet.

Although the findings in the chargesheets are almost the same, differences surfaced between the FIRs, statements of witnesses and the charge sheets, the police said.

The charge sheets of No. 14/70 and 15/71 cases say Bithi, one of the accused, admitted that her husband Pintu with the help of rickshaw-van puller Abdus Samad brought five sacks of goods from the truck and stashed them in garbage. But Samad was not named in the statements of witnesses.

According to the FIRs of the Nos. 16/72 and 17/73 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 the truck was laden with machinery parts, which he said would be kept in a friend's house because of hartal the next day, the FIRs continue.

Mozam and Altaf informed Dupchanchia Police Station upon resistance from Pintu when they wanted to see what was inside the truck.

But the charge sheets say Mozam and Altaf and other villagers together questioned Pintu and he answered that Jubo League leader Atikur Rahman Dulu sent the machinery parts in the truck.

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

The statements of the witnesses, claiming to have seen the pineapples used to cover the ammunition and explosives, raised suspicion among police, as the site where the vehicle was parked was in dark. The sacks were tied and Altaf is not expected to have seen bullets inside, police added.

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

A CID official seeking anonymity said statements of only three arrestees were recorded by the court under section 164, but no-one mentioned the names of the smugglers in confessionals.