The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Former Awami League Chief Whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah was sentenced to nine years imprisonment while party leader Kazi Zafrullah was sent to jail by separate courts yesterday.

A special court trying high profile corruption cases yesterday sentenced former Awami League (AL) Chief Whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah to nine years' imprisonment in absentia for non-submission of his income tax return, concealling real income and evading tax.

Pronouncing the verdict, Judge AK Roy also fined him Tk 40 lakh, in default, to suffer six months more in jail.

Besides, the Court ordered the Government to confiscate his wealth worth about Tk 1.66 crore.

"The sentences come into effect after his arrest or surrender to the Court," the Court order said.

National Board of Revenue filed the case against Hasnat Abdullah in October.

Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor Syed Shameem Ahsan Habib conducted the case.

Meanwhile, AL Presidium member Kazi Zafarullah, who was rearrested from the jail gate on Tuesday, was sent to jail yesterday after he was produced before the Court.

He was re-arrested at the jail gate on charge of making inflammatory statement against the Government violating the emergency power rules (EPR) when his supporters assembled to receive him, said the police report to the Court.

Kazi Zafrullah, a former MP from Faridpur, was earlier arrested in March in an extortion case. The High Court enlarged him on bail to come out of the Dhaka Central Jail on Tuesday evening when he was taken into custody again.