A Dhaka court on Wednesday awarded a 20-year prison sentence for former president of Dhaka city south unit Jubo League, Ismail Hossain Chowdhury alias Samrat, in two lawsuits filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The ACC filed the legal cases over the acquisition of assets beyond known sources of income.
He has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment under each of two separate cases, amounting to a total of 20 years. The court ordered that the sentences will run consecutively.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Md Zakaria Hossain of the Special Judge’s Court-6 in Dhaka today. Fakir Zahidul Islam, the court’s senior bench assistant, confirmed the matter.
In addition to imprisonment, the court fined Samrat Tk 1 million under each case—Tk 2 million in total. In default of payment, he will serve a further six months’ simple imprisonment for each case, adding up to one year.
After the prosecution concluded its closing arguments on 9 February, the court fixed 25 February for the delivery of the judgment.
Formal recording of testimony concluded on 2 February, with statements taken from a total of 21 witnesses.
ACC deputy director Md Jahangir Alam on 12 November 2019 lodged the case, alleging that Samrat had amassed illegal assets worth over Tk 29.48 million beyond his known sources of income. The ACC submitted the charge sheet on 26 November 2020.
On 17 July last year, the court framed charges against him and ordered the commencement of trial proceedings. As the accused was absconding at the time, the court cancelled his bail and issued a warrant for his arrest. He remains at large.