3 ex-MPs among 15 BNP men given 5 yrs in jail for sabotage

Jail

Dhaka, Oct 9 (UNB)-A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced 15 BNP leaders and activists, including chairperson’s adviser and two former lawmakers, to four years’ jail each in a sabotage case filed around eight years back in Dhaka.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jasim also fined the convicts Tk 10, 000 each, in default of which they will have to serve three more months’ jail, said the defendants’ lawyer Sheikh Shakil Ahmed Ripon.

The convicts include Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Adviser Habibur Rahman Habib, party’s vice chairman and former lawmaker Alhaj Md Shahjahan, former lawmaker Mohammad Ahsan Habib Lincon, local government affairs assistant secretary Mohammad Belal Ahmed, assistant publicity secretary Mohammad Shamimur Rahman Shamim, activists-Towhidul Islam Tuhin, Monirul Hoque Monir, Mohammad Didarul Islam, Masud Rana, Abdur Razzaque, Ziaul Islam Jewel, Md Arif, Mohammad Nishan Miah, Moahammad Mahmudul Hasan Sumon and Mozammel Huq.

Of them, Aminul Islam and Abdur Razzaque were on the dock during the delivery of the judgment. The court issued an arrest warrant for the others.

The court also exempted four accused Mohammad Kafil Uddin, Mohammad Mamun, Dwin Islam and Aminul Islam from the charges as the allegations brought were not proved.

According to the case statement, some 30 to 40 people led by local BNP leaders torched buses, obstructed movement of general people, barred police from performing duty during a nonstop blockade enforced by 20-party alliance at Progoti Sarani opposite to Jamuna Future Park under Bhatara police station in the capital on January 4, 2015.

Later, Sub-inspector Nazrul Islam filed a case in this connection.

Police pressed chargesheet against 19 accused on May 12 of the same year.

After completing legal procedures, the court handed down the judgment on Monday. - UNB