JMB commander Ersad gets 20-yr in jail

The then Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) commander of Chattogram district, Ersad Hossain alias Mamun, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.   

The judge of fourth additional Chattogram metropolitan sessions judge court, Shariful Alam Bhuiyan, passed the order on Tuesday afternoon. The court’s bench assistant, Omar Fuad, confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

Omar Fuad said with 20 years' imprisonment, he was fined Tk 20,000. He will have to languish one year more in jail if he fails to pay the fine. Three other accused of the case were acquitted. They are Bulbul Ahmed, Md Sujan and Mahabubur Rahman.

According to the case statement, police conducted a drive on 23 March in 2015 at a rented house at Akbar Shah area in Chattogram city and arrested Ersad Hossain and recovered explosive substances and bomb-making equipment. A lawsuit was filed with Akbar Shah police station.

Later police conducted another drive at the end of 2015 at Karnaphuli area and arrested the remaining three, including Bulbul. They were also shown arrested in the case filed with Akbar Shah police station.

The court says police submitted a supplementary charge sheet to the court against the four accused in April 2016. The court framed the charge against them on 11 November in 2020.

The court delivered the verdict on Tuesday after recording depositions from eight persons. The public prosecutor Noman Chowdhury expressed satisfaction over the verdict.