39 more BNP leaders-activists sentenced

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court in Dhaka handed down different terms of punishment to 39 leaders-activists of BNP and its associate organisations in three different cases on Monday.  

The convicted persons are thana and ward level leaders and activist of the opposition party. The court issued arrest warrants against them as they were not present in the court during the announcement of the verdicts.  

With this, a total of 584 BNP leaders-activists got convicted in 34 cases in last three months. However, many of the persons were convicted in more than one case. These cases were filed on charges of obstructing police, vandalising and torching vehicles and hurling crude bombs.  

Two of the three cases disposed of on Monday were filed in September 2018.

One was filed in Uttarkhan over the allegation of beating up police. CMM court’s magistrate Mohammad Joshim handed two and half years of imprisonment to 16 BNP leaders-activists in this case.

According to the case statement by police, leaders-activists of BNP and associate organisations gathered near Teromukh Lohar Bridge area at a secret meeting to carry out subversive activities at around 9:00am on 3 September in 2018.

As Uttarkhan police went to the spot, 24 BNP men exploded crude bombs and hurled brick chips to kill police.

The court on 20 July prepared chargesheet against 17 accused. The state presented 6 policemen as witnesses to the court out of 18 witnesses mentioned in the case. Deposition of witnesses ended on 24 September.

Lawyer Syed Nazrul Islam, who stood for the accused BNP men, told Prothom Alo that his clients did not get justice from the court.

In another case filed with Rampura police station on 15 September in 2018, the court on Monday sentenced 16 BNP men to two and half months in prison. CMM court’s magistrate Nurul Huda Chowdhury delivered the verdict.

According to the case statement, the accused persons held a demonstration demanding release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at around 6:30pm on the day. At one point the demonstrators exploded crude bombs and hurled brickbats indiscriminately targeting police that left four policemen injured.  

The court on 30 January prepared chargesheet in the case. The state presented 7 witnesses to the court out of 14 in the case. Of the witnesses who gave their depositions, 6 were policemen.

CMM court’s additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) Md Sultan Sohagh Uddin on Monday handed down seven leaders-activists of BNP and its associate organisations to 6 months imprisonment in a case filed with Shantinagar police station in 2013.

BNP’s legal affairs secretary Kayser Kamal said the government is trying to foil BNP’s movement and make its leaders incapable to do politics by sentencing them.

He told Prothom Alo recently that the government is trying to dispose of the cases against the BNP leaders-activists hastily.