The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Barguna

Former BNP lawmaker Nurul Islam Moni, along with his three party colleagues, was Sunday awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment in a case of embezzling relief tins. The three other convicts are Patharghata upazila BNP president Adv. Shamsuddin and general secretary Saiful Islam Jamal and party activist Jamal.

The trial court also fined the convicts Tk 5000 each, in default, to suffer one year more in jail.

All the four were tried in absentia, as they went into hiding to dodge arrest.

According to prosecution, joint forces during the ongoing operation against corruption and crime seized 79 pieces CI sheets of relief from Patharghata upazila BNP office on February 18 this year. A case was filed in this connection.

After examining records and 33 witnesses, additional district and sessions judge Md Shahjahan Majumder pronounced the verdict. Another four accused persons were acquitted of the charge "for lack of evidence".