Another 29 BNP men jailed over political violence

Twenty-nine more leaders and activists of the BNP and its front organisations were sentenced to jail in different terms yesterday in two cases filed five to six years ago over political violence in the capital.

They were convicted on charges of illegal gathering on the street, rioting, and damaging properties.

With this, at least 546 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat have been jailed since November 7 this year in 28 cases filed between January 2012 and November 2018 over political violence in Dhaka.

In a case filed with Shahjahanpur Police Station in October 2017, a total of 20 leaders and activists of the BNP and its front organisations were each given three years' imprisonment by a Dhaka court yesterday.

BNP's Dhaka South City Member Secretary Rafiqul Alam Majnu, Jubo Dal's President Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, and Swechchasebak Dal's General Secretary Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewel are among the convicts.

No convicts were present in the courtroom when Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury delivered the verdict.

The magistrate also acquitted 44 others from the case, as the charges against them were not proven. Of them, Abul Hashem and Shamsur Rahman have passed away.

Four prosecution witnesses testified before the court during the trial.

According to the case statement, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organizations, including Tuku and Jewel, brought out a political procession in front of Khilgaon Railgate at around 11:30am on October 14, 2017.

They vandalized vehicles, assaulted policemen, and prevented them from discharging their duties.

Following the incident, police filed a case against Tuku, Jewel, and 25 others with the Shahjahanpur Police Station.

On January 25, 2018, police pressed Tuku, Jewel, and 62 others.

Also yesterday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shafi Uddin sentenced nine leaders and activists of the BNP and its front organizations to two years imprisonment over political violence in Gulshan in September 2018.

Mehedi Hassan Bappy, general secretary of BNP in the city's ward 18, was among the convicts in the case.

One accused was acquitted after the charges against him were not proven.

The magistrate announced the judgement in their absence in the courtroom.

The case statement said a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations, led by Bappy illegally gathered in front of Progati Sarani in the city's Gulshan area around 6:00pm on September 25, 2018.

They exploded crude bombs and vandalised vehicles.

Following the incident, police filed a case against Bappy and nine others with the Gulshan Police Station.

On April 22, last year, police submitted a charge sheet against Bappy and nine others.

In both cases, conviction warrants were issued against all absconding convicts yesterday.

According to the judgement, their punishment will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender before the court.