DHAKA, Dec 10, 2023 (BSS) - A court here today convicted and sentenced one Ashraful Haque Omar alias Uzzal to two-year imprisonment and fined him Taka 5,000 for siphoning Taka 1,00,000 from a car trader in the city posing as a national cricketer.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jasim pronounced the judgment in absence of the convict as he is yet to be arrested.

Car trader Mehedi Imam filed the case on September 3, 2020, and police on July 13, 2021, filed charge-sheet against the fraudster. The court on February 28, 2023, framed charges against Uzzal and initiated the trial.

According to the case documents, Uzzal went to plaintiff's car showroom Japan Motors in 2020, posing as a player of Bangladesh National Cricket Team. He identified himself very close to former national cricketer Mehrab Hossain Opee and Mohammad Ashraful and a friend of former skipper Mushfiqur Rahim.

"He promised to bring all those players to my showroom, saying this would increase fan followers of the shop. At one stage, he requested to lend him some money, pledging to return it when he would buy a car from my shop. I gave him Taka 1, 00,000 in two instalments. But when I demanded my money back after some time, he went into hiding. Later I got to learn, I was duped by him all along," Mehedi Imam said.