Five more PWs testify in graft case against Tarique, Zubaida

Five more prosecution witnesses (PWs) on Sunday testified in a graft case against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman.

The five PWs are - Sonali Bank official Khandaker Shahidur Rahman, International Travel Corporation chairman Selim Bhuiyan, its accounts manager Shahidul Islam, sales manager AKM Hamidur Rahman and Dhaka DC Office employee Jesmin Akter.

After their testimonies, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman adjourned the hearing till June 5. Fifteen PWs have, so far, testified out of a total of 56 in the case.

The court on April 13, 2013, framed charges against the two fugitive accused as it scrapped a petition to allow them to appoint lawyers to defend them in absentia.

ACC on September 26, 2007, filed the case against Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman and mother-in-law Iqbal-Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4.81 crore and concealing information about the assets.

The anti-graft body filed the charge-sheet in 2008. Zubaida in 2008 filed a petition with the High Court, pleading to quash the proceedings of the case. The High Court in the same year stayed the proceedings of the case, which was later upheld by the Appellate Division.

The High Court after holding final hearing on the matter, cancelled the plea of Zubaid on April 12, 2017. It had also asked her to appear before the trial court concerned within eight weeks. Zubaida later filed a leave to appeal petition against the High Court order.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on April 13, 2022, scrapped Zubaida's leave to appeal petition and upheld the High Court order.

On November 1, 2022, the lower court concerned issued arrest warrants against the couple after accepting the charges pressed against them. On February 6, 2023, the court issued a gazette asking the couple to appear before the court.

Source: BSS