Tarique gets 9-year jail, Zubaida 3-year in graft case

A court here today convicted and sentenced BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman to nine-year imprisonment and his wife Zubaida Rahman to three-year jail in a case filed for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4.81 crore and concealing information about the wealth.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman pronounced the judgment in a crowded courtroom this afternoon. The verdict was delivered in absence of the accused as both of them haven absconding.

The court in its judgment said Zubaida aided her husband in committing the crimes.

Tarique was sentenced to three-year imprisonment under section 26 (2) and six-year jail under section 27 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004. Both the sentences of jail will run concurrently, the judgment said. Zubaida on the other hand was sentenced to three-year imprisonment under section 27 (1) of the act.

The judge entered the courtroom after 3:15 pm and started reading out the judgment at 3:21 pm. The court sentenced the couple at around 4pm.

Security was beefed up in and around the court premises marking the pronouncement of the judgment in the case. Additional policemen were deployed, checking people to thwart any untoward incident.

Pro-BNP lawyers brought out processions on the court premises, staging demonstration since the morning. At one stage, pro-Awami League lawyers too brought out a procession in support of the trial, demanding highest punishment for the accused.

The court on July 27 had set today to pronounce the judgment as the placing of arguments in the case concluded on that day. The court on July 24 had adjourned the hearing till July 27 as examining the witnesses in the case ended on that day.

A total 42 witnesses out of 56 testified in the case.

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

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on September 26, 2007, filed the case against Tarique Rahman, his wife 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 filed the charge-sheet in 2008. 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 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.

The BNP acting chairman had earlier been convicted and sentenced in four cases in absentia. Tarique was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 21 grenade attack case, 10-year jail in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, seven years in jail in money laundering case and two-year imprisonment in a case for making remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.