Bangladesh, Aug. 18 -- A Dhaka court has sent Shohidul Islam Babul, secretary general of the BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal, to prison over his conviction in a case dating back six years.

Babul surrendered before a Dhaka magistrate's court on Monday and sought bail pending appeal. Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saifuzzaman rejected the petition and ordered him to jail.

Following the hearing, Babul's lawyer Sadekul Islam Bhuiyan said they would lodge an appeal with the High Court. "We are hopeful the court will grant him bail."

The case, filed during the previous Awami League government, charged Babul with "obstructing government work and holding an illegal rally".

In November 2023, he was sentenced to two and a half years in pris...