The High Court has directed its registrar to issue a notice summoning BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman to surrender before the trial court in a money laundering case.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain came up with the order yesterday after accepting an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging Tarique’s acquittal given by a trial court.
The court also asked the registrar to publish advertisements in at least two widely-circulated English and Bangla dailies. The advertisement will be published as the BNP leader is staying abroad.
The court would pass further order on this issue on February 14, said ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan. He moved the court for a ruling against Tarique’s acquittal on January 3.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique was arrested on March 7 in 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government. He went to London on parole in September 2008 for treatment and did not come back.
The case was filed against Tarique and his friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun in October 2009 for laundering Tk204.1 million to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court sentenced Mamun to seven years’ imprisonment and slapped him with a Tk40 crore fine. In its order, the court acquitted Tarique saying that he had mentioned the amount in his wealth submitted to the ACC.
Following an appeal filed by Mamun, the High Court on April 29 in 2014 stayed his fine of Tk40 crore. The ACC then filed an appeal on December 5, 2013, challenging Tarique’s acquittal.
Following the appeal, the High Court on January 19 last year asked the lower court to send it the case records and ordered Tarique to surrender before the trial court in the case.
The High Court, however, asked the trial court to grant him bail after his surrender.
Meanwhile, the ACC in January of 2014 launched a probe against the trial court judge, retired special judge Motaher Hossain, following specific allegations of amassing illegal wealth, abusing judicial power, earning huge wealth contradictory to his known source of income and amassing movable and immovable property in his and others’ names. He is believed to be in Malaysia.