The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Comilla

A magistrate court her yesterday sentenced former BNP lawmaker Engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munshi to seven-and-a-half- year imprisonment in a severe punishment for violating election code of conduct.

The court of Judicial Magistrate M Jahir Uddin also fined Munshi Tk 35,000, in default, to serve three months more in jail.

The allegation brought against the former MP is that he, in favour of his wife and four-party alliance candidate from Comilla-4 constituency Majeda Ahsan, intercepted the voters in different centres from casting their votes.

"He also threatened the minority community, obstructed the members of the law-enforcing agencies from discharging duties, established supremacy over the area illegally and leaked information about the polling centres," it was stated in the case of election offence.

Following the allegation brought against him by Devidwar thana OC Zahedul Islam, the electoral court pronounced the verdict after recording depositions by nine witnesses.

Munshi was arrested from Mohammadpur centre in the afternoon on the election-day for trespassing into different polling centres, "beating and threatening" rival-party supporters and some other charges.

After the arrest, the ex-BNP lawmaker was sent to BIRDEM Hospital as he fell sick and unconscious on way to Comilla. So, the trial was completed in absentia as per strict electoral rules framed by the interim regime.