Death Threat to PM: BNP leader Giasuddin jailed for 3 years

A Chattogram court yesterday sentenced BNP Vice-chairman Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury to three years’ imprisonment in a case filed over issuing death threat to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and making derogatory comments about her.

Verifying all records and evidence, the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Shahidullah Kaisar handed the sentence after finding him guilty, said Additional Public Prosecutor Shamir Das Gupta.

The court also fined the BNP leader Tk 5,000, in default of which he will have to serve three more months in jail, he added.

Shamir said six witnesses testified at the trial. He said Giasuddin had jumped bail this year. 

Giasuddin is the younger brother of executed war criminal Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury.

On May 31 last year, Nazim Uddin Muhuri, Fatikchhari upazila Awami League general secretary, filed the case after the BNP leader issued the death threat to the prime minister and made derogatory comments about her at an event in the upazila on May 29 that year.

At the programme, organised by the local unit of BNP, Giasuddin had reportedly said Hasina would have the fate or worse than that of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

After the incident, four cases were lodged against Giasuddin.