A Dhaka court on Tuesday sentenced five staff members of a lower court to life-term imprisonment (14-Yrs) each as they secured bail for 106 accused, forging the signature of a judge.

The convicts are — M Mosleh Uddin, Sheikh Muhammad Nayem, M Ismail, M Alamgir Hossain and M Jahangir, reports UNB.

Judge M Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka Special Court-5 pronounced the verdict after recording the deposition of 15 witnesses out of 33.

The court also fined them Tk 20,000 each. In the case of failure to pay the fine, they will have to undergo two more months jail.

According to the prosecution, the convicts, who worked for the Second Additional Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge’s court, ensured the bail of 106 accused in 76 different cases by placing the fake signature of judge Samsunnahar Begum on the bail bonds.

Obaidul Karim Akond, the administrative officer of Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge, noticed the matter first and filed a case against the offenders with Kotwali Police Station on July 12, 2015.

Later, M Shafiullah, assistant director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), submitted charge sheet against the convicts on March 15, 2016.