BNP lawmaker Md Harunur Rashid has secured six months' interim bail from the High Court in a case the trial court convicted him of tax evasion.
The High Court single bench of Justice Md Shawkat Hossain passed the order on Monday after accepting an appeal filed by the member of parliament.
The bench also stayed lower court's order that fined Tk50 lakh to MP Harun.
Earlier on the day, the BNP leader filed a petition challenging his conviction of five-year jail term as well as seeking bail.
On October 20, a Dhaka Special Judge’s Court found him guilty in a 2007 case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of evading taxes by abusing the MPs’ duty-free car import facilities.
Harunur Rashid, one of only seven sitting BNP MPs in the House, was convicted for the crime of not paying taxes while importing a Tk11.65 lakh luxury vehicle in 2004.
Judge Shaikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court 4 also fined the Chapainawabganj 3 lawmaker Tk50 lakh, upon delivering the verdict with Harun present in court.
Afterwards, the court cancelled his bail and sent him to jail.
Two others accused in the case — former NTV managing director Enayetur Rahman Bappi and Sky Autos owner Ishtiak Sadek — were also sentenced to two years and three years in prison, respectively.
Enayetur and Ishtiak were also fined Tk1 lakh and Tk40 lakh, respectively.
Harun, Enayetur, and Ishtiak will have to serve six months, two months and six months or more in jail, respectively, if they fail to pay the fines.
The court, on October 20, also issued arrest warrants for Enayetur and Ishtiak who are still on the run, and said their punishment will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender.
Harun, a joint secretary general of BNP, was one of his party’s lawmakers who met incarcerated BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia earlier this month at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital.
After meeting her on October 1, Harun had told reporters that Khaleda, who has been in prison since February 8 last year on account of two graft cases, would go abroad for medical treatment if she got bail.
Harun also met with Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader the next day and informed him about Khaleda’s health condition. He had requested Quader to inform Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about Khaleda’s bail situation.
