Graft case against Tareqwue-Zubaida, last witness testifies

Tarique, Zubaida

Examining witnesses in a graft case against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman ended today.

Today Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Toufikul Islam testified as the last prosecution witness on Monday. Forty-three witnesses out of 56 testified in the case.

Dhaka’s Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman at the end of Monday’s proceedings adjourned the hearing till July 27. Legal arguments will be placed on that day.

The court on April 13, 2013, framed charges against the two fugitive accused as it earlier scrapped a petition to allow them to appoint lawyers to defend them in their absence.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on September 26, 2007, filed the case against Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman and his mother-in-law Syeda Iqbal-Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4.81 crore and concealing information about the assets.

 The anti-graft body filed the charge sheet of the case in 2008. Zubaida Rahman 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, cancelled the plea of Zubaid Rahman on April 12, 2017. It had also asked her to appear before the trial court concerned within eight weeks. Zubaida later filed a leave to appeal petition against the High Court order.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on April 13 of 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 of this year, the court issued a gazette asking the couple to appear before the court. - Special Correspondent