Court hands Bidisha Ershad two-year jail term, issues arrest warrant over flat sale fraud

The former wife of late president HM Ershad remains at large following a ruling in a criminal case originating from a Gulshan real estate dispute

A Dhaka court has sentenced Bidisha Ershad, the former wife of late president Hussain Muhammad Ershad, to two years of rigorous imprisonment in a fraud case involving the sale of a residential flat.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jamshed Alam delivered the verdict on Wednesday.

The prosecution's lawyer Hemayet Uddin Khan Heron confirmed the development, noting that the court also slapped her with a Tk 10,000 fine, a failure to pay which will result in an additional month in prison.

Since Bidisha is currently absconding, the magistrate issued an arrest warrant along with a conviction warrant to secure her apprehension, the lawyer said.

The legal battle dates back to 2008 when a businessman named Mosharraf Hossain Sikder filed a case with the Gulshan Police Station.

The complainant alleged that Bidisha had cheated him over the transaction of a residential flat located in President Park at Dhaka's Baridhara.

Contacted for a reaction to the verdict, Bidisha told bdnews24.com that she was “not aware” of the matter.

[Updates to follow]