Graft: BNP’s ex-MP Wahab jailed for 8yrs

A Jessore court today sentenced former BNP lawmaker of Jhenidah-1 constituency Abdul Wahab to eight years imprisonment in a graft case.

Judge of Jessore Special Judge’s Court Nitai Chandra Saha passed the order in the presence of the former lawmaker.

The court also fined him to Tk 45,000. In default, he will have to serve another nine months in the prison.

Photo: Azibor Rahman

Mohammad Wazed Gazi, assistant director of ACC in Jessore office, filed the case against MP Abdul Wahab, also BNP central committee member, on November 24 in 2008 on charge of acquiring wealth worth Tk 93 lakh illegally and concealing the information of his income source.

The court also ordered the authorities concerned to seize the properties of Tk around 9300,369 which should be deposited to state account.

Meanwhile, Jhenidah’s Shailokupa upazila unit of BNP called a half-day hartal in the upazila for tomorrow protesting the verdict.

Soon after the verdict, Khan Rafikul Islam Dipu, general secretary of Shailokupa upazila unit of BNP, called the half-day shutdown in a press conference at Jessore press club today.

They will file appeal with the High Court soon challenging the lower court order, he said in the briefing.

Fakhrul condemns

Hours after the verdict, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the government for sentencing the imprisonment.

“It is a part of the government sponsored repression on BNP leaders. The government sent Abdul Wahab to jail implicating him with a false and fabricated case,” Fakhrul said in a press statement issued this afternoon.

As part of the conspiracy to eliminate nationalist forces from the country, the government is sending BNP leaders in jail on different terms implicating them with politically motivated case, Fakhrul said.

Fakhrul also demanded Wahab’s immediate unconditional release and withdrawal of the case lodged against him.