Noakhali Correspondent: A court here yesterday convicted and sentenced police constable Md Ariful Islam, 32, to 17-year imprisonment in a case lodged for getting job by submitting fake Freedom Fighter certificate of his father.

Judge ANM Morshed Khan of Noakhali Special Judge Court pronounced the judgment in absence of the convict as he is yet to be arrested. The convict was also fined Taka 3.70 lakh or to suffer two-year imprisonment in default.

“Ariful, son of Nurul Haque of village Mohammadpur under Chatkhil upazilla of the district joined police service in 2012 under the quota of ‘Dependent of Freedom Fighter’. He had submitted all the forged documents in this regard. As his forgery came into light after internal investigation, then reserve officer of Noakhali Police Lines sub-inspector Shariful Islam filed the case against Ariful in 2013,” public prosecutor Advocate Abul Kashem told BSS.

Anti-Corruption Commission was given the charge to probe the case and the anti-graft body after investigation filed charge-sheet against Ariful.

The public prosecutor further said as the convict has been sentenced under five different charges, and all the sentences of jail would run concurrently, he would have to serve only five-year behind the bars.