Four cases are still pending against Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
Mr Tarique has been sentenced in two of those cases. He was given a nine-year in prison sentence in a case filed for allegedly amassing assets from unknown sources and concealing information of assets.
In another case, a seven-year in prison verdict was served to Mr Tarique for over “money laundering” allegations.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed both cases in different time. Among them, the nine-year sentence verdict by the lower court has been suspended for one year by the government's executive order on the condition of filing an appeal. In this case, Tarique’s wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman’s three-year sentence verdict has also been suspended. On the other hand, the money laundering case is awaiting final settlement in the High Court.
It is learned that BNP’s Acting Chairman can return to the country only after it is settled. It is known that 83 cases were filed against Tarique Rahman across the country during the previous military-backed One-Eleven government and the ousted Awami League government. Of these, 79 cases have been settled.
Many of the cases have been dismissed by the court while in some cases he was acquitted. The court has exempted Tarique Rahman from some cases due to lack of evidence to proceed with the case.
The lawyers of the defendants involved in the pending cases have said that if he (Tarique) is exempted from the remaining four cases, he will be completely free from the cases.
He can be exempted or acquitted from the two defamation cases at any time. He will be free from the sentence if he is acquitted in the money laundering case pending in the High Court.
In this regard BNP Assistant Secretary, Law Affairs Advocate Syed Zainal Abedin Mezbah said: “A verdict against Tarique Rahman was suspended by the government’s executive order.”
“Although the trial court acquitted him in another money laundering case, the judge later fled the country fearing for his life,” he added. Later, the High Court sentenced Tarique Rahman to seven-years in prison in that case.
“The case is now awaiting final settlement in the Appellate Division of the High Court,” the advocate informed. He is hopeful that if justice is served to BNP Acting Chairman and he will be acquitted. After that, Tarique Rahman will soon return to the country.
BNP’s Law Affairs Secretary Barrister Kaiser Kamal said that BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman respects the court and law. Whenever and wherever he has to take action, he will take that action in accordance with the law. Hopefully, he will get justice.
Translated by AM
