Court Correspondent :
Eight BNP leaders and activists, including its Vice Chairmen Air Vice Marshal (retired) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Major (retired) Md Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, were imprisoned on different terms in a case filed over political violence in Gulshan area of the capital in 2011.
Of them, former Home Minister Altaf Hossain, Hafiz and Major (retired) Md Hanif were sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment while five others were imprisoned for 42 months for illegal gathering and torching vehicles.
Among the convicts, Altaf Hossain was present in the trial proceedings virtually from the jail when Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury delivered the verdict. The court acquitted 11 other accused people as the charges against them were not proved.
During the trial process, seven prosecution witnesses testified in the court.
According to the prosecution story, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organizations illegally gathered on the street in front of Mohakhali Wireless Gate Panir Tank area of Gulshan and obstructed police conducting their duties.
They also attacked the law enforcers and vandalized and torched vehicles.
Police filed the case with Gulshan Police Station in connection with the incident.
