A Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court today (October 9) sentenced 15 leaders and activists of the BNP including the party chairperson’s adviser Habibur Rahman Habib and party vice-chairman and former lawmaker Md Shahjahan in a sabotage case filed with Bhatara police station in the capital eight years ago.

Dhaka Metropolitan magistrate Mohammad Jasim passed the order on Monday (October 9). 

The court sentenced the BNP activists to suffer jail term for two years for obstructing the police to discharge their government activities and for two more years for committing destruction through arson attack.

However, the court said that both punishments would run concurrently.

The other convicts are former lawmaker Mohammad Ahsan Habib Lincoln, BNP’s village government affairs assistant secretary Mohammad Belal Ahmed, assistant publicity secretary Mohammad Shamimur Rahman Shamim, Tauhidul Islam Tuhin, Monirul Haque Monir, Mohammad Didarul Islam, Masud Rana, Abdur Razzak, Ziaul Islam Jewel, Md Arif, Mohammad Nishan Mia, Mohammad Mahmudul Hasan Sumon and Mozammel Haque.

Besides, the court acquitted four others as the charges against them were not proved. They are Mohammad Kafil Uddin, Din Islam, Mohammad Mamun and Aminul Islam.

According to the case document, on January 4, 2015, around 5:30pm, a group of BNP men set a bus on fire at Pragati Sarani under Vatara police station and create chaos, during the ongoing blockade of the 20-party alliance to deliberately obstruct the police from doing their work.

Later, Sub-Inspector Nazrul Islam of Vatara police station filed this case the same day.

BDST: 1657 HRS, OCT 9, 2023
MN/SMS