8 cases against Tarique pending; convicted in 2: Minister

Eight cases, including two over August 21 grenade attack and one sedition case, are now pending with the lower court against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, while he has been convicted in two other cases.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday placed a list of the cases against Khaleda Zia’s eldest son Tarique Rahman in Parliament replying to a starred question from ruling party MP Fazilatun Nasa Bappy (Women Seat-30).

Talking about the eight cases, the minister said a graft case was filed with Kafrul thana in 2007 accusing Tarique Rahman along with his wife Zubaida Rahman, his mother in-law Syeda Iqbal Manda Banu on charges of accumulating assets illegally.

Dr Zubaida filed a petition with the High Court against the charge-sheet of the case, but the court turned it down. The accused filed the appeal petition with the Appellate Division challenging the High Court’s order, which is awaiting disposal.

Tarique is accused in two cases of murder and blasts over 21st August grenade attack.

The trial proceedings of the two cases now continue in the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1, Dhaka, Annisul said.
 
The trial proceedings of a sedition case filed against him in 2017 are going on in Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, the minister told the House.

Besides, four defamation cases are pending with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court. Of these, the court issued a warrant for his arrest in one case.

About the two cases in which Tarique has been convicted, he said the High Court sentenced him to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk 20 crore in a money laundering case filed with Kafrul thana in 2009, though the lower court acquitted him.

Tarique has recently been convicted along with his mother BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust case by the lower court. Tarique was sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined some Tk 2.10 crore in the case.

Source: unb