Political violence: 49 BNP-Jamaat leaders, activists sent to jail
Court Correspondent :
Forty-nine more BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists, and their front organizations were sentenced to different jail terms on Tuesday in four cases filed between December 2012 and September 2018 in connection with political violence in Dhaka.
With this, at least 723 members of BNP-Jamaat and their front organizations have been imprisoned since November 7 this year in 40 cases filed on the charges of illegal gathering on streets, rioting, damaging properties, vandalizm, and assaulting police-men and obstructing them from discharging their duties.
In a case filed with Bhatara Police Station in September 2018 over political violence, four leaders and activists of BNP and its front organizations were handed, in absentia, three years’ rigorous imprisonment each by a Dhaka court on Tuesday.
The convicts are BNP leader Md Ataur Rahman, former Chairman of Bhatara Union Parishad, and its members Abdul Aziz, Mosharraf Hossain Swapan, and Md Helal Uddin.
Metropolitan Magistrate Arfatul Rakib also issued conviction warrants against the four and directed the Officer-in-Charge of Bhatara Police Station to comply with its order.
The court acquitted 16 other accused as the prosecution could not to probe the charges against them beyond all reasonable doubts.
According to the case statement, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami gathered in front of Fansertek around 8:15 pm on September 19 of 2018. They created anarchy and made attempt to worsen law and order situation in the area.
After investigation, police submitted the charge sheet of the case to the court against the 20 accused on January 25, 2019.
Also, Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mehedi Hassan of Dhaka sentenced, in absentia, 25 leaders and activists of BNP-Jamaat and their front organizations to 30 months’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) each in a case filed with Demra Police Station in December 2012.
Before delivering the judgment, the court rejected their bail, declared them fugitives and issued arrest warrants against the 25.
The court acquitted the 12 other accused as the prosecution failed to probe the charges brought against them beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the case statement, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat and their front bodies gathered in front of Dania High School in the city’s Demra around 9:00am on December 9, 2012. They vandalized vehicles, assaulted cops and prevented them from discharging their duties.
In another development, the same court on Tuesday sentenced, in absentia, nine BNP-Jamaat men to two years’ imprisonment each in a case filed with Pallabi Police Station on February 6, 2013.
The case was filed on charges of illegal gathering on streets, vandalizing vehicles, assaulting police personnel and obstructing them from carrying out their duties.
In another political violence case filed with Kamrangirchar Police Station on April 5, 2013, 11 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment each by another Dhaka court on Tuesday.
Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury of Dhaka CMM court pronounced the sentences in absence of the convicts in the courtroom.
The court issued conviction warrants against the 11 and directed Kamrangirchar Police Station OC to execute its order.. After an investigation, police submitted the charge sheet of the case against the accused on April 20 of 2014 on the charges of creating anarchy in Jafrabad area of Kamrangirchar.
