Pro-BNP lawyers have claimed that more than 1500 leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organizations have been sentenced on various terms in the last 5 months. Their plan is to keep BNP away from the election and movement, and all these sentences have been given by settling the trial as soon as possible.
These cases include attacks on the police, obstructing work and cocktail explosions, throwing bricks, arson and other cases of vandalism. All these cases were filed in various incidents from 2010 to 2019.
Advocate Zainul Abedin Mejbah, Assistant Legal Affairs Secretary of BNP Central Committee, told Barta24.com that when Law Minister Anisul Haque ordered the speedy disposal of old cases, it was seen that the rate of settlement of other old cases including theft and robbery did not increase, but the rate of settlement of political cases against BNP increased rapidly in the last 5 months. The witnesses of all the cases were brought to the court by phone. In many cases, the BNP leaders and activists were sentenced by settling the cases as soon as possible with the witnesses of these cases till night. In this way, about 2,000 BNP and its affiliates have been sentenced in the last 5 months.
He claimed that to keep BNP away from the elections, the leaders and activists were first punished. Later, BNP withdrew from the election, but the leaders and activists were sentenced to prevent the movement.
Advocate Hannan Bhuiyan, the joint secretary of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum's Central Committee on Relief and Rehabilitation, told Barta24.com that only in Dhaka, more than 1500 leaders and activists have been punished in the last 5 months. It is more unusual than at any other time.
In this regard, the state's chief lawyer, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Abdullah Abu, could not be found when contacted on his mobile phone. However, Additional Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Tapas Kumar Pal told Barta24.com that the case was settled at a normal pace and not at a fast pace. Most of the cases that have been sentenced are old cases. In these cases, there is no way without taking the witness of the state. There is a provision to take evidence of the case every day if necessary. The witness has to finish the testimony even at night. They are cross-examining all the witnesses.
He also said that according to the BNP, the issue of quick settlement of cases, sentencing of activists to keep them away from elections and agitations is political. There was no violation of law in the hearing and judgment of those cases.