Graft case against Tarique, Zubaida, ACC Dy Director testifies

Tarique, Zubaida

A Dhaka court today started recording depositions of the first prosecution witness in a graft case against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman.

Complainant of the case Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Jahirul Huda testified on Sunday as the first prosecution witness in the case.

Recording depositions of the witness, Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman Dhaka adjourned the hearing till May 25.

The court on April 13, 2013, framed charges against the two fugitive accused and scrapped their petition to allow them appoint lawyer 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 her mother Iqbal-Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4.81 crore and concealing information about their 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.

The High Court after final hearing on the matter, cancelled the plea of Zubaida Rahman 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, 2022, scraped Dr Zubaida’s leave to appeal petition and upheld the High Court order.

On November 1, last year, the lower court concerned issued arrest warrants against the couple accepting the charges pressed against them. On February 6 of this year, the court issued a gazette asking the couple to appear in the court. - Special Correspondent