Nadim Mostafa gets 10-yr in jail for felony

A Rajshahi court yesterday sentenced former BNP lawmaker Nadim Mostafa and 14 others to 10 years rigorous imprisonment in two separate cases of extortion and criminal activities during union parishad (UP) election, 2003 in Durgapur upazila.
However, the convicts would actually serve only seven years in jail as the second court of Additional Sessions Judge Rejaul Islam ordered simultaneous execution of two sentences. All the 15 convicted were also fined Tk 13,000 each, in default they would have to suffer 18 months more in jail.
The judge in the extortion case sentenced them to seven years in jail and fined them Tk 10,000 in default they would have to serve 12 months more in jail.
In the case filed in connection with criminal activities, the judge sentenced them to three years imprisonment and fined them Tk 3,000 in default they would have to serve six more months in prison.
The judge, however, acquitted two of the 17 accused in the cases.
Nadim Mostafa and 11 other convicted have been absconding since the state of emergency was proclaimed earlier this year.
Durgapur Municipality Chairman and local BNP Secretary Saidur Rahman Mantu, BNP adherents Babul of Maria, Ansar of Shahbajpur, and two accused later acquitted--were in the dock during the delivery of the verdict.
Other convicts are Mominur Rahman, Enamul Haq, Shahin, Tuhin, Abu Bakkar, Nazim Uddin, Malek, Labu, Chanchal, Huda and Zaker.
Sekander Ali lodged the case with Durgapur Police Station on April 24 accusing 20 people. Sub-inspector Golam Mohammad of Durgapur Police Station submitted the charge sheet against 17 people on May 18.
The court heard the accounts of 17 witnesses till August 8 when arguments between the prosecution and defence lawyers concluded.
According to the charges Saidur, Mominur and other accused, on Nadim Mostafa's directive, demanded Tk 1 lakh from Maria UP Chairman Molla Hasan Imam Faruk on UP election day July 14, 2003.
As Faruk refused to pay, Nadim's accomplices resisted Faruk's followers from going to the polling centres. As voters protested, Nadim's men attacked them. Plaintiff Sekandor Ali and his brother Jamal were injured during the attack along with many others.
This was the second verdict going against Nadim. On July 3, the same court in connection with extortion jailed him for five years.
A court on July 4 acquitted him in a case filed in connection with misappropriating corrugated iron sheets of the government's relief department.
He has another case under trial which was filed in connection with patronising militants. Two other extortion cases filed against him are under investigation.