Nineteen BNP leaders, activists imprisoned in violence case

Court Correspondent :
A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced 19 BNP leaders and activists, including former Dhaka City Corporation Ward Councilor Md Mohon, to six months imprisonment each in a violence case filed in 2013.

Besides, Jubo Dal Central Committee Organizing Secretary Ishaq Ali Sarkar is among the convicts in the case.

Remaining convicts are ward-level leaders and activists of BNP and its front organizations.

Ishaq’s brother Yakub Sarkar and 32 others were acquitted as their involvement was not proved.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sultan Sohag Uddin of Dhaka pronounced the verdict in presence of Yakub Sarkar and three others at the courtroom.

The magistrate also fined them Tk 3,000 each, in default they will have to suffer one month more in prison.

Before pronouncing the judgement, the court cancelled bail of the absconding convicts, declared them “fugitives” as they were absent without taking any steps through lawyers.

The court also issued conviction warrants against the fugitive convicts and directed Officer-in-Charge of Bangshal Police Station to execute the court order.

The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender to the court, the judge said in his verdict.

When asked about the judgement, Md Kamruzzaman Sumon, a lawyer for accused Md Kamal, told the media that his client did not get justice from the court.

Only nine out of 30 prosecution witnesses, including Investigation Officer of the case, gave their statements before the court during the trial but they could not narrate the incident specifically. So, all the accused were deprived of justice, said lawyer Sumon.

“We will challenge it in the higher court where our clients may get justice,” said Sumon.

According to the prosecution, it was alleged that a group of BNP leaders and activists led by Mohon gathered in front of Kazi Alauddin Road in the capital during hartal (shutdown) called by 18-party alliance around 10:45am on October 29 of 2013. At that time, they blasted crude bombs, assaulted policemen and prevented them from performing their duties.