5 jailed for electoral offences in Gazipur
The verdicts were delivered by election-time summary courts.
Five individuals have been sentenced to two years' imprisonment each and fined in separate incidents of electoral offences in Kaliakair and Kapasia upazilas of Gazipur during the 13th national election and referendum.
The verdicts were delivered by election-time mobile courts.
The convicts are Shamimul Islam, a Jamaat activist; Md Tarek, general secretary of Chandpur Union Chhatra Dal; Ilyas Sarkar, general secretary of Ward-2 BNP in Chandpur; Iftakhar Ul Alam, a Chhatra Shibir activist; and Mezba Ul Islam, a supporter of Chhatra Shibir.
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Officials from the respective courts confirmed the matter.
In Gazipur-1 constituency, Shamimul was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and fined Tk1,000 for distributing money in favour of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Shah Alam Bakshi. The verdict was delivered by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Md Asaduzzaman of Gazipur.
According to court sources, Shamimul Islam is a voter of Kurigram district and an employee of Ibn Sina Pharmaceuticals. Since last night, he had allegedly been distributing money among voters in different areas of Latifpur Union under Kaliakair upazila.
Later, locals detained him and handed him over to authorities. Law enforcers recovered Tk60,000 in cash from his possession. After verifying the allegations, the judicial magistrate handed down the sentence.
In a separate incident in Gazipur-4 (Kapasia) constituency, four individuals were sentenced to two years of imprisonment each for violating the electoral code of conduct and creating disorder outside Chandpur High School polling centre.
Each of them was also fined Tk10,000, with an additional one month of jail term in default of payment.
According to court sources, the convicts attempted to create disorder outside the polling centre during voting this afternoon. At one stage, scuffles broke out, and banners were torn down. Members of the army and police brought the situation under control.
Senior Judicial Magistrate of Gazipur Md Alamgir Hossain found the detainees guilty after verifying the allegations and pronounced the sentences.
