Another 31 BNP men jailed over political violence

Another 31 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations were sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment yesterday in two cases filed in 2018 over political violence in the capital.

With this, at least 1,096 BNP-Jamaat activists have been jailed since November 7 this year in 64 cases lodged between June 2011 and December 2018 on charges of illegal gathering on the streets, rioting, damaging properties, arson attacks on vehicles, vandalism, and assaulting police and obstructing them from discharging duties.

Yesterday, 19 BNP leaders and activists were given two years' imprisonment in a case lodged with Paltan Model Police Station in February 2018.

Of the convicts, Rafiqul Alam Majnu, member secretary of BNP's Dhaka south city unit, and Saiful Alam Nirob, former Jubo Dal president, were present at the courtroom when Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mainul Islam delivered the verdict.

BNP Joint Secretary General Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, executive committee member Mashiur Rahman Biplob, former JCD president Razib Ahsan and BNP's Savar municipality unit President Kazi Md Refat Ullah are among the convicts.

During the trial, five prosecution witnesses testified before the court.

According to the case statement, on February 1, 2018, some 40-50 leaders and activists of BNP and its allies illegally gathered on the street in front of Ananda Bhaban Community Centre in Paltan.

They then blasted three to four crude bombs, which caused panic among people and prevented police from carrying out their duties.

On the same day, Sub-inspector Arshad Hossain filed a case with Paltan Model Police Station.

Besides, 12 BNP activists were jailed for two years in another case filed with Badda Police Station over damaging properties in December 2018.

No convicts were present in the courtroom when Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ataullah delivered the judgment.

In another development, a Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against BNP leader Aman Ullah Aman and 212 others in two cases lodged in November 2013 and June 2017 over political violence in Keraniganj.

The cases were filed with Keraniganj Model Police Station on charges of blasting crude bombs, damaging properties, torching vehicles, vandalism, and assaulting police and obstructing them from performing duties.

Aman, convener of Dhaka north city unit BNP, is now in jail in the cases, while 170 others, now on bail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Dhaka AKM Rakibul Hasan read out the charges to them.

The court set January 2 for starting the trial of the cases.