A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced a driver of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to 30 years of imprisonment on two charges under an arms case.
The convict is driver Abdul Malek. State counsel Salauddin Hawladar confirmed the matter.
He will have to stay in prison for a total of 15 years as the two sentences will run simultaneously.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court-3 Mohammad Rabiul Alam handed down the verdict.
The court sentenced Abdul Malek to 15 years in prison for possession of arms and another 15 years for possession of bullets.
On September 13, the court had fixed September 20 for announcing its judgment.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court-3 Mohammad Rabiul Alam closed the arguments in the case.
However, Abdul Malek claimed that he was framed in a false case. He further claimed Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) did not find anything in his house.
He made these remarks while he was being escorted by law enforcers out of the court after the verdict.
He said, “RAB framed me in a false case. I will go to a higher court for a fair trial.”
The court framed charges against him in the case on March 11. Abdul Malek pleaded not guilty and demanded justice when Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes framed charges against him.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet in the case on January 11.
RAB personnel arrested Malek from the Turag area in the city for extortion and running illegal firearms trade in the Turag Police Station area on September 20 last year.
One foreign-made pistol, one magazine, five rounds of bullets, fake currency worth around Tk1.50 lakh, one laptop, and one mobile phone were recovered from his possession.
He was allegedly involved in many illegal activities and made huge wealth by transferring employees of different departments through lobbying.