Mobile courts jail 3 in Dhaka

Mobile courts sentenced three people to varying jail terms for arson attempt in Sabujbagh and hurling bombs at police in Motijheel on Tuesday – the second day of the two-day opposition-planned nationwide shutdown.

Of them, Manu Mia and Mosharraf Hossain have been sentenced to one-year imprisonment, while Billal Hossain will have to stay behind bars for three months.

Manu Mia was caught red handed while attempting to set a vehicle on fire with petrol near Mothertek intersection in Sabujbagh at around 11:00am, Sabujbagh Police Station Officer in Charge Babul Mia said.

On being presented at the mobile court, he was sentenced to a year in jail, he said.

Mosharraf Hossain was sentenced to a year in jail for hurling bombs at police stationed in front of the Notre Dame College in Motijheel. In all, four bombs were then detonated, Motijheel zone Police Inspector (Patrol) Sheikh Abul Bashar said.

The bombs were hurled from a pro-shutdown procession, he said. They also vandalised an ATM booth of the BRAC Bank.

Police dispersed the procession by firing shots in the air. Mosharraf was nabbed from the scene and handed over to a mobile court.

Police arrested Billal, 28, from Lalbagh Maternity Hospital area in the morning on charges of hurling stones at them.

Executive Magistarte Abida Afroz sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment as he was presented before her.

Meanwhile, five including Jagannath University Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal unit President Faisal Ahmed Sajal and Organisational Secretary ABM Mohsin were nabbed for pelting stones at the police from a procession in Wari.

Wari Police Station OC Tapan Chandra Saha said the procession was chased away by the law keepers at around 8.30am.

Two crude bombs were blasted near the cops stationed at Babubazar bridge, Kotwali Police Station OC Abu Bakar Siddique said.

He suggested that the bombs might have been hurled from over the bridge.