77 BNP, Jamaat activists jailed
Seventy-seven more leaders and activists of BNP-Jamaat and their front organisations were sentenced to different jail terms yesterday in five cases filed years ago over political violence in the capital.
With this, at least 949 BNP-Jamaat activists have been jailed since November 7 this year in 53 cases lodged between June 2011 and November 2018 on charges of illegal gathering on the streets, rioting, damaging properties, arson attacks on vehicles, vandalism, assaulting police personnel and obstructing them from performing their duties.
Fourteen activists of the BNP and its front organisations were sentenced to 33 months' imprisonment by a Dhaka court in a case filed with Tejgaon Police Station in November 2013.
Of the convicts, three were present at the courtroom when Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mosharrof Hossain delivered the verdict.
Former Jubo Dal president Saiful Alam Nirob, former councillor of Dhaka City Corporation Anwaruzzaman and former Swechchhasebak Dal Tejgaon unit president Azizur Rahman are among the convicts.
During the trial, three prosecution witnesses testified before the court.
According to the case statement, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations illegally gathered in Farmgate's Anwara Park area and torched a bus on November 5, 2013 during a hartal called by 18-party alliance. They also assaulted its driver.
The same court yesterday jailed 20 BNP activists, in absentia, for 21 months over political violence in Banani in September 2018.
Five prosecution witnesses gave depositions in the case.
The case statement said a group of leaders and activists of BNP-Jamaat on September 6, 2018, gathered on Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani in Mohakhali and vandalised vehicles to foil the upcoming national polls.
Police then filed a case with Banani Police Station.
In another development, Magistrate Mosharrof sentenced 12 BNP activists to 24 months' rigorous imprisonment over political violence in Shahjahanpur area in September 2018.
Three of the convicts were present at the courtroom yesterday.
Five prosecution witnesses testified before the court.
According to the case documents, a group of leaders and activists of BNP illegally assembled in DID Road area in Shahjahanpur on September 7, 2018, demanding release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
They vandalised vehicles and blasted some crude bombs there, causing panic among the people. They also threw brick chunks at police personnel.
Police that day lodged a case with Shahjahanpur Police Station.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ataullah handed down jail sentences to 13 BNP-Jamaat activists for 24 months over political violence in Motijheel in June 2011.
No convicts were present at the courtroom yesterday.
Five prosecution witnesses gave statements before the court in the case.
The case documents said some pickets set a bus on fire in Shahjahanpur Railway Colony area on June 4, 2011, during a hartal.
Later, bus driver Monir Hossain filed a case with Motijheel Police Station.
Another Dhaka court sentenced 18 BNP-Jamaat activists to different prison terms over political violence in Cantonment area on September 15, 2018.
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