A Dhaka court has acquitted BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and six others in a case filed over bribery allegations related to securing immunity in a murder case, making the former legally free to return to Bangladesh according to a BNP lawyer.
Dhaka Special Judge Court 3’s Judge Abu Taher delivered the verdict on Thursday, reports Bangla Tribune.
As a result, the BNP’s legal representatives said there were no longer any cases pending against Tarique – who is in the UK – and Babar in trial courts, as reported by BBC Bangla.
According to the case charge sheet, a bribe of Tk21 crore was taken to grant immunity to Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir, an accused in the murder case of Bashundhara Group director Engineer Sabbir. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case during the 1/11 caretaker government period.
BNP lawyer Borhan Uddin told reporters that the ACC had failed to present any evidence against the accused.
As no cases remained, Tarique now faced no legal obstacles to returning to Bangladesh and resuming political activities, BBC Bangla quoted him as saying.
