A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced Helena Jahangir, a businessperson-turned-politician, and four others to two years of imprisonment in a fraud case filed with Dhaka's Pallabi Police Station.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hossain handed down the sentence in presence of three of the accused in the case.
The magistrate also fined them Tk2,000 each, in default of which they will have to serve two more months in jail.
The four other accused are Hazera Khatun, general manager of Helena Jahangir's IPTV "Joyjatra Television"; Sanaullah Nuri, its coordinator; Qamruzzaman Arif, chief news editor; and staff reporter Mahfuzur Rahman.
Earlier, the court recorded statements of 13 prosecution witnesses, including complainant in the case.
On April 18 last year, the court framed charges against Helena and four others in the case.
Abdur Rahman Tuhin, Bhola district correspondent of Joyjatra Television, filed the case on August 2, 2021.
On November 21, 2021, Inspector Shahinur Islam of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
According to the case statement, Helena took Tk54,000 from the complainant for appointing him as the Bhola district correspondent of Joyjatra Television. As a correspondent, Rahman worked for several months at the station but was not paid any salary.
Meanwhile, the television authorities took Tk3,000 per month from him.
Helena, a director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), is also facing charges in cases filed under the Digital Security Act, Narcotics Control Act and Wildlife Protection Act.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Helena in a raid on her Gulshan residence in the capital on July 29 and took her to the RAB headquarters for questioning.
Bottles of foreign liquor, deerskin, walkie-talkies, foreign currencies and casino equipment were seized during the search, conducted based on some specific allegations against her, RAB said after the raid.
On July 25, 2021, she lost membership in the Awami League subcommittee on women's affairs for her involvement with Bangladesh Awami Chakrijibi League, an organization with no affiliation with the ruling party.
She was also removed from the advisor post of Comilla Awami League.