In the final stretch leading up to the National Parliament elections, a significant development unfolded on Thursday with the sentencing of 77 more individuals associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its affiliated organizations.

This judicial action transpired in five separate cases, further intensifying the political landscape, BNP leaders say.

Among the convicted leaders and activists are Saiful Alam, former president of Jubo Dal, Rafiqul Alam, member secretary of Dhaka City South wing BNP, and Azizur Rahman, general secretary of Dhaka City North wing Swechchhasebak Dal.

In the last four and a half months, a total of 1,222 people have been sentenced in 78 cases, with the majority being BNP leaders and workers. Some individuals have faced sentencing in multiple cases.

The cases adjudicated on Thursday date back to 2011, 2013, and 2018, and were filed across various police stations in the capital, including Motijheel, Tejgaon, Shahjahanpur, Banani, and Cantonment.

 The timing of these legal actions, just weeks before the national elections, contributes to the heightened political tension and scrutiny surrounding the proceedings.

As the nation navigates these legal intricacies, the implications of these sentences on the upcoming elections remain a subject of close observation and discussion within the political arena.

The convergence of legal proceedings and electoral dynamics adds a layer of complexity to the unfolding narrative, with implications that could resonate well beyond the courtroom.

The charges in these separate cases included allegations of unlawful gatherings, obstructing police work, assault, vandalism of vehicles, arson, and cocktail explosions. In four of these cases, the plaintiff is the police, while one involves a driver. 

The case registered at Shahjahanpur police station in September 2018 involved 80 to 85 BNP leaders and workers who, according to the case statement, marched against the government from the Railgate area of Malibagh on 7 September, 2018.  

During the protest, they vandalised cars on the road and exploded crude bombs ('cocktails'). The charge sheet for this case included 13 accused. The trial commenced on 24 September and concluded on 29 November, with five police witnesses presented in court on behalf of the state. 

In the verdict, issued by Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court Magistrate Mosharraf Hossain, 12 individuals were sentenced to two years in prison, while one person was acquitted. 

On 5 November 2013, a bus was set on fire in Tejgaon. In the case filed in connection with this incident, the court sentenced 14 individuals, including the former president of Jubo Dal, Saiful Alam, and the general secretary of Dhaka City North Swechchhashebak Dal, Azizur Rahman, to two and a half years in prison. One person has been acquitted, and the verdict was given by CMM Court Magistrate Mosharraf Hossain. 

According to the case filed at Banani police station, on 6 September, 2018, around 7:30 in the evening, BNP leaders and activists blocked the movement of vehicles and detonated cocktails. In this case, 20 people, including BNP leader Rafiqul Alam, were sentenced to one year and three months in prison, while one person was acquitted. The verdict was delivered by Magistrate Mosharraf Hossain. 

The case registered at Motijheel police station on 4 June, 2011, involved the burning of a bus in front of the Kamalapur railway station. In this case, the court sentenced 13 individuals to two years of imprisonment. CMM Court Magistrate Ataullah delivered this verdict. 

On the other hand, the case filed at Cantonment police station on 15 September, 2018, reported an incident where BNP leaders and activists attacked the police during an anti-government rally in the Manikadi Bazar area and detonated cocktails.

In this case, the court sentenced 18 people to two years of imprisonment. The verdict was given by Dhaka's CMM Court Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury.