Bdnews24.com

A Dhaka court Thursday sentenced former BNP communications minister Nazmul Huda to 12 years rigorous imprisonment on charges of extorting a vehicle by threatening a Bogra MP.

The court acquitted Huda's wife Sigma, co-accused in the case.

Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Mohsin also fined Nazmul Tk 50,000 or six more months behind bars on failure to pay the fine.

His sentence comprises two terms of seven years and five years, to run concurrently. The sentence is effective from the day he was arrested in the case.

Former BNP lawmaker from Bogra, GM Siraj filed the case against Nazmul and his wife on July 29 last year with Dhanmondi Police Station.

The couple, owners of newspaper Khoborer Ontorale, was accused of demanding two vehicles from Siraj for use by the newspaper's offices in 2003.

Nazmul threatened the former lawmaker with destroying his political and business career by publishing a series reports in the newspaper if the vehicles were not made available.

Siraj, the owner of SR Travels later gave Nazmul a Maruti, according to the case details.

Dhanmondi police pressed charges against the couple on Dec 4 last year.

Some 11 witnesses were deposed during the trial, while Nazmul himself and advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker argued for the defence.

Sigma Huda thanked the judge for acquitting her in the case. But she claimed that her husband did not take any vehicle from the plaintiff.

Nazmul said it was not right that he was convicted.

Lawyers of the Huda couple, Md Shafiul Alam and Salamot Ullah Mintu, told bdnews24.com they would appeal against the verdict.

Thursday's sentence was the third conviction against Nazmul Huda.

Joint forces arrested him on Feb 3 last year, while Sigma Huda surrendered to court on July 3.

Sigma was later admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital after becoming ill.

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