Helena Jahangir jailed for 2 years
A Dhaka court today sentenced Helena Jahangir, a businessperson-turned-politician, and four others to two years' imprisonment in a fraud case filed with Dhaka's Pallabi Police Station.
Four other accused are Hazera Khatun, general manager of Helena Jahangir's IPTV "Joyjatra Television"; Sanaullah Nuri, its coordinator; Qamruzzaman Arif, chief news editor; and staff reporter Mahfuzur Rahman.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hossain handed down the sentence in presence of three of the accused in the case.
Helena Jahangir was absent, having submitted a time petition through her lawyer on grounds that her diabetes level is very high.
Another accused, Hazera Khatun, was also absent. The magistrate pronounced the verdict in her absence and made her fugitive. The punishment of Helena and Hazera will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender.
The magistrate fined them Tk 2,000 each, in default of which they will have to serve two more months in jail.
Earlier, the court recorded statements of 13 prosecution witnesses, including complainant in the case.
On April 18 last year, the court framed charges against Helena and four others in the case.
On November 21of 2021, Inspector Shahinur Islam of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and also investigation officer of the case, submitted charge sheet against Helena and four others to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.
Joyjatra Television's Bhola district correspondent Abdur Rahman Tuhin filed the fraud case on August 2 of 2021.
In the case, it was alleged that Helena took Tk 54,000 from Abdur Rahman Tuhin of Bhola district to appoint him as a local correspondent of Joyjatra Television. As a correspondent, Abdur Rahman worked for several months but was not paid any salary. On the other hand, the television authorities took Tk 3,000 per month from him.
The law enforcers arrested Helena during a raid at her Gulshan residence in the capital on July 29 of 2021. She was released on bail in November.