Mahmudur Rahman, former acting editor of the "Amar Desh" newspaper, and a former energy adviser during the Khaleda Zia government, has been ordered to jail following his surrender in a case concerning the conspiracy to kidnap and murder Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former Information Technology adviser.
Mahmudur Rahman had previously been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for his role in the plot.
He appeared before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court (CMM) in Dhaka at 10:30am on Sunday (29 September).
The hearing began at 11am, after which Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubul Haque ordered his imprisonment, said Mahmudur Rahman's lawyer, Syed Zainul Abedin Mesbah.
He stated that Rahman had been convicted in absentia by the judicial court, which sentenced him to seven years in prison.
Mesbah added that they would appeal for bail under the conditions of appeal.
As the sentencing was handed down in Mahmudur Rahman's absence, the concerned court lacked the authority to grant him bail, leading to his imprisonment.
His legal team also applied for division facilities within the prison, given Rahman's former rank as an advisor holding the status of a state minister.
The case, related to the abduction and attempted murder of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, was adjudicated on 17 August last year by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka, Asaduzzaman Noor, who sentenced Rahman along with journalist Shafik Rehman and three others to seven years of rigorous imprisonment under two separate charges.
The other convicted individuals are Mohammad Ullah, a leader of the cultural wing of the BNP; Rizvi Ahmed Caesar; and Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan.
The court imposed a five-year prison sentence and a fine of Tk5,000 under Section 365 of the Penal Code (kidnapping), with an additional month of imprisonment for non-payment of the fine.
Furthermore, under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), they were sentenced to two years in prison and another Tk5,000 fine, with an additional month of imprisonment for non-payment.
The sentences for both charges will run concurrently, as noted by the judge.
According to the case file, the conspiracy to kidnap and murder Sajeeb Wazed Joy was allegedly devised by senior BNP leaders and their affiliates, including Mohammad Ullah Mamun, and other high-ranking figures from the BNP and its allied parties.
The accused met and conspired at various locations, including the JASAS office in Paltan, Dhaka, New York, and multiple sites across the UK and Bangladesh.
Detective Branch Police Inspector Fazlur Rahman filed the case with the Paltan Model Police Station on 3 August 2015.
