Graft case against Tarique, Zubaida 3 more testify on Thursday

Tarique, Zubaida

Three bank officials Thursday testified in the graft case against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman.

The three witnesses are-Prime Bank Limited Executive Officer Md Humayun Kabir, Senior Officer Md Abdullah Al Hasan and Officer Sheikh Ashraful Islam.

After recording their depositions, Metropolitan Sessions Judge of Dhaka Md Asaduzzaman adjourned the hearing till June 11. Of the 56 prosecution witnesses, 27 so far testified in the case.

The court on April 13, 2013, framed charges against the two fugitive accused Tarique Rahman and Dr Zubaida Rahman after it scrapped a petition to allow them to appoint lawyers to defend them in the court in their absence.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on September 26, 2007, lodged a complaint with Kafrul Police Station in the capital against Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman and her mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4.81 crore and concealing information about their assets.

The anti-graft body filed the charge sheet of the case in 2008. Dr Zubaida in 2008 filed a petition with the High Court, pleading to quash the proceedings of the case. The High Court in the same year stayed the proceedings of the case, which was later upheld by the Appellate Division.

The High Court after final hearing on the matter, cancelled the plea of Zubaid on April 12, 2017. It had also asked her to appear in the trial court concerned within eight weeks. Dr Zubaida later filed a leave to appeal petition against the High Court order.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on April 13, last year, scrapped Zubaida’s leave to appeal petition and upheld the High Court order.

On November 1, 2022, the lower court concerned issued arrest warrants against the couple after accepting the charges pressed against them. On February 6, 2023, the court issued a gazette asking the couple to appear before the court. - Special Correspondent