Bidisha Ershad jailed for two years over flat sale fraud

A Dhaka court has sentenced Bidisha Ershad, former wife of late president Hussain Muhammad Ershad, to two years of rigorous imprisonment in a fraud case over the sale of a residential flat, reports bdnews24.com.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jamshed Alam delivered the verdict on Wednesday.

The prosecution's lawyer Hemayet Uddin Khan Heron confirmed the development, noting that the court also slapped her with a Tk 10,000 fine, a failure to pay which will result in an additional month in prison.

Since Bidisha is currently absconding, the magistrate issued an arrest warrant along with a conviction warrant to secure her apprehension, the lawyer said.

The legal battle dates back to 2008 when a businessman named Mosharraf Hossain Sikder filed a case with Gulshan Police Station.

The complainant alleged that Bidisha had cheated him over the transaction of a residential flat located in President Park at the capital's's Baridhara.

Contacted for a reaction to the verdict, Bidisha said she was 'not aware' of the matter.