Graft case against Tarique, Zubaida: witnesses to testify May 21

Tarique, Zubaida

The Metropolitan Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka Tuesday fixed May 21 to begin recording the depositions of the Prosecution Witnesses in a graft case filed against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman. 

Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman passed the order on Tuesday, accepting a time plea of the prosecution. 

Tuesday was earlier fixed to start recording the depositions of the first PW, but the prosecution pleaded for time as the witness did not appear in the court. 

The court on April 13 framed charges against the two fugitive accused and it rejected a petition to appoint lawyers to defend them in absentia. 

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

The anti-graft body submitted the charge sheet of the case in 2008. Dr Zubaida in 2008 submitted a petition to 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 of the Supreme Court. 

The High Court after holding final hearing on the matter, cancelled the plea of Zubaid 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, 2022, 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