Altaf, Hafiz and 6 other BNP men jailed for 2011 political violence

Eight BNP leaders and activists, including its vice chairmen Air Vice Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Major (retd) Md Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, were jailed on different terms in a case filed over political violence in Dhaka's Gulshan area in 2011.

Of them, former home minister Altaf Hossain, Hafiz and Major (retd) Md Hanif were sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment while five others were jailed for 42 months for illegally gathering and torching vehicles.

Among the convict, only Altaf joined the trial proceedings virtually from the jail when Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury delivered the verdict.

The magistrate also acquitted 11 other accused as the charges against them were not proven.

During the trial, seven prosecution witnesses testified before the court.

According to the case documents, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations illegally gathered on the street in front of Mohakhali Wireless Gate Panir Tank area in Gulshan and obstructed police from conducting their duties. They also attacked the law enforcers and vandalised and torched vehicles.

Police filed a case with Gulshan Police Station in connection with the incident.