The protracted legal battles involving Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman have fueled discontent among party supporters and the public. Despite the interim government assuming power four months ago and dismissing several politically charged cases, the former three-time prime minister and her son remain entangled in unresolved legal proceedings.
Over the past 15 years, the previous administration initiated numerous cases against opposition leaders, with Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman among the most prominent targets. Tarique, currently residing abroad, faces 30 ongoing cases, while Khaleda Zia continues to contend with six to seven defamation-related charges. The BNP maintains that these cases are politically motivated.
Barrister Kaiser Kamal, the BNP’s Legal Affairs Secretary and legal representative for the duo, voiced frustration over the situation. He highlighted that nearly 400,000 cases involving approximately 600,000 BNP leaders and activists remain pending, calling on the interim government to withdraw these charges. Kamal emphasized the party’s stance that justice for Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman is long overdue.
As millions of supporters and citizens demand resolution, a critical question looms: how much longer must Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman endure these prolonged legal struggles?
Other Legal Cases Involving Tarique Rahman: During the previous caretaker government’s tenure, Tarique Rahman, then serving as BNP Vice Chairman, traveled to London for medical treatment after being released on bail in September 2008. He has remained in London since.
Since 2007, Tarique Rahman has faced at least 84 legal cases. Of these, he has been convicted in five, while 39 cases have resulted in acquittals, exemptions, or the dismissal of charges against him.
Supreme Court Stays Tarique Rahman’s Sentence in Money Laundering Case: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed the seven-year imprisonment sentence against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in a money laundering case. The ruling, issued on Tuesday by a bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed, temporarily halts the execution of the sentence.
This was the first conviction against Tarique Rahman, which he appealed, leading to the current stay by the Appellate Division.
Orphanage Trust Case: In the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, a special judge court in Dhaka sentenced Tarique Rahman to 10 years in prison on February 8, 2018. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was originally given a 5-year sentence in the same case. However, after an appeal by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the High Court raised Khaleda Zia’s sentence to 10 years.
Tarique Rahman and Dr. Zubaida Rahman Sentenced for Wealth Acquisition Beyond Known Income: On August 2, 2023, the Senior Special Judge Court of Dhaka sentenced Tarique Rahman to nine years in prison and his wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman, to three years for unlawfully acquiring wealth beyond their declared income and concealing these assets.
Defamation Case Against Tarique Rahman: On December 16, 2014, during a rally organized by the UK BNP in London, Tarique Rahman made highly controversial remarks, referring to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as a "Razakar" and a friend of Pakistan. These statements were subsequently published in a national daily in Bangladesh.
In response, Shahjahan Biswas, a freedom fighter from Narail, filed a defamation case against Tarique Rahman in the Narail Judicial Magistrate's Court, arguing that the comments damaged the reputation of assassinated Sheikh Muzib. On February 4, 2021, the court sentenced Tarique Rahman to two years in prison for defamation.
Legal Landscape for Khaleda Zia After Sheikh Hasina's Government Falls: Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5, several cases against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia have been dismissed, including 23 cases related to sabotage and defamation. However, the most significant cases—the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases—remain unresolved, with these charges having led to Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment.
Recently, the Appellate Division suspended the 10-year sentence handed down by the High Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. In the aftermath of the fall of the Awami League government, the President granted a waiver for Khaleda Zia’s sentences in both corruption cases. She has since been acquitted in another corruption case, while two others are still pending in the courts.
Khaleda Zia’s legal team asserts that she is currently facing a total of 37 cases, with the majority related to sabotage and defamation. Most of these charges originated during the caretaker government in 2007 and the Awami League government in 2009. To date, Khaleda Zia has been convicted in only two of these cases.
Zia Charitable Trust Corruption Case: Khaleda Zia's Ongoing Legal Struggle: The Zia Charitable Trust corruption case, filed against Khaleda Zia in August 2011, alleges that she misused her power as Prime Minister to divert funds for the trust. The charges claim that Tk 3 crore 15 lakh was illegally collected under the trust's name, with no clear source of the funds identified.
The trial, which began in March 2014, culminated in a verdict on October 29, 2018, when a special court sentenced Khaleda Zia to seven years in prison and imposed a Tk 10 lakh fine.
Currently, an appeal against the trial court's verdict is pending before the High Court, continuing the protracted legal battle for the former Prime Minister.
Niko Corruption Case: The Niko corruption case, filed in 2008 during the army-backed government, alleges that the state incurred a loss of Tk 10,000 crore due to a gas exploration and extraction contract with the Canadian energy company, Niko. The case also linked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as the agreement was initially made in 1996 during her tenure. However, after returning to power in 2009, Sheikh Hasina was acquitted by the court. Despite this, legal proceedings against Khaleda Zia have continued, with the former prime minister still facing charges.
Khaleda Zia’s lawyer, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, confirmed that evidence is currently being presented in the case.
Gatco Corruption Case: The Gatco corruption case, filed during the post-2007 army-backed government, alleges that the Gatco company was awarded a container terminal in Dhaka's Kamalapur without following proper procedures. Recently, Khaleda Zia's lawyer announced her acquittal in the case during a hearing.
BNP leaders and supporters had hoped that following the August 5 mass coup, Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, and other party figures would be exonerated of all false charges. They anticipated that within a month, politically motivated cases against party members would be dismissed. However, despite these expectations, the legal battles continue, with the weight of these cases still looming over the BNP and its affiliates.
This ongoing legal struggle has sparked frustration and anger among BNP leaders and supporters, who view the false charges as a continued tool of political oppression under the ousted Awami League government.
Translated by: Jisan Al Jubair
Bd-pratidin English
