Graft case against Tarique, Zubaida, 3 more testify

Tarique and Zubaida.

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

Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammad Asaduzzaman of Dhaka recorded depositions of AB Bank officers- SM Musa Karim, Obaidur Rashid and Emran Ahmed and then adjourned to record the depositions other witnesses Tuesday.

Of the 56 witnesses, the court so far recorded the depositions of six witnesses.

It may be remembered that on June 25 of last year, the High Court declared Tarique and Dr Zubaida “fugitives” and rejected their writ petitions challenging filing and initiation of Tk 4.82 crore graft case.

The apex court also withdrew the stay order on the case filed during the caretaker government in 2007 and directed the lower court concerned to complete the trial proceedings as early as possible.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrae (CMM) Court of Dhaka was asked to send the case record to the Senior Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka within 10 days of receiving the High Court order to start trial.

Meanwhile, on October 1 of 2007 trial proceedings against Tarique was stayed following a writ petition filed by him while trial proceedings against his mother-in- law Syeda Iqbal Band Banu were quashed.

The anti-graft body filed the charge sheet of the case in 2008. After that, Dr Zubaida filed a petition with a High Court Division 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.

Later, on April 12, 2017, the High Court after final hearing on the matter,

cancelled the plea of Dr Zubaida. It had also asked her to appear in the trial court concerned within eight weeks, but she did not appear. She filed a leave to appeal petition against the High Court order.

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

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

On September 26, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Kafrul Police Station in the capital against Tarique, Dr Zubaida and her mother Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4.82 crore and concealing information of Tk 2.16 crore in their wealth statement, said the case document.- Special Correspondent