Bidisha Ershad sentenced to 2 years in jail in fraud case

Former wife of late president Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Bidisha Ershad, has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a fraud case by a Dhaka court.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamshed Alam delivered the verdict on Wednesday, May 20, in the absence of the accused . The court also fined Bidisha Tk 10,000, with an additional month's imprisonment in default of payment .

The case was filed on February 2, 2008, with Gulshan Police Station by businessman AKM Mosharrof Hossain Sikdar . According to the case statement, Mosharrof paid Bidisha Tk 75 lakh on July 10, 2001, for a flat in Baridhara that was scheduled to be handed over by July 10, 2002 . The flat was never handed over .

Later, Bidisha issued a cheque worth Tk 75 lakh, which was dishonoured on May 2, 2005, due to insufficient funds . The complainant further alleged that attempts to recover the money in 2008 failed and he was threatened . During the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified before the court .