Bodufinolhu workers prosecuted for violent strike released from jail

The migrants who were prosecuted in connection to a violent strike in B. Bodufinolhu back in 2020 have been released from jail. 

Disgruntled migrant workers in Bodufinolhu – which was under development as a tourist resort - staged a violent strike over months of unpaid wages on July 2, 2020, during which they destroyed property, held local workers hostage and confronted the police. 

19 workers were arrested by the police in connection to the case the next day. 

11 of them were pressed with criminal charges. They were sentenced by the Criminal Court last Sunday. 

All 11 workers – MD Abdu Sattar, Thahar, MD Rasal Mia, Sohag, Delwar Hossain, Mohamed Jamal Hossain, Palas, Rana Shakeeb, Mohamed Samto Mia, Jahirul, and Al Ameen were found guilty of destruction of property and obstruction of a law enforcement officer. They were sentenced to one year, seven months and 24 days in prison for the charges. 

Two of them – Rana Shakeeb and Jahirul – were also found guilty of possession of a sharp instrument in a public place without valid reason for threatening local workers with sharp-edged weapons. They were sentenced to one year, three months and three days in prison for the charge. 

One of the workers - MD Rasal Mia was found guilty of assault. He was sentenced to one year and 12 days in prison for the charge. 

Meanwhile, four of the workers – MD Abdu Sattar, Rana Shakeeh, Mohamed Samto Mia, and Jahirul were also found guilty of unlawful confinement. They were sentenced to one month and 24 days in prison for the charge. 

They had already served more time in detainment than their sentence required when the Criminal Court issued its sentence in the case on Sunday. The judge considered the time they spent in detainment as time served and released them.