TDS Desk:

The High Court (HC) has remarked that the corruption trial against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman was not carried out in an impartial manner by the lower court.

The verdict also said that there were violations of the law in the speedy taking of testimony and the announcement of the verdict in the trial court, the failure to issue a notice to Zubaida, and the framing of charges.

The HC made the statements in the 52-page full verdict published on the Supreme Court’s website on Monday.

Tarique was sentenced to nine years in prison and Zubaida to three years in prison in a case filed on charges of concealing information about assets and acquiring assets beyond known sources of income.

“It appears from the records that the testimonies of 42 witnesses were recorded within two months and four days, and the judgment was pronounced immediately after eight days of the completion of recording depositions. The progress and conclusion of the trial at such a high speed created a widespread belief that it was not held impartially,” the court said in its observations.

On May 28, the High Court delivered a verdict acquitting Tarique and Zubaida. The single bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman announced the decision based on Zubaida’s appeal petition against the lower court’s verdict.

Tarique, who was released from jail in 2008, went to London for advanced medical care. His wife Zubaida and their daughter Zaima Rahman accompanied him. They did not return to Bangladesh during the Awami League’s time in power.

After the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5 last year, courts dismissed several cases against both Tarique and his mother and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

On Oct 2, 2023, Zubaida’s sentence in the corruption case was suspended for one year.

According to the government notice issued at the time, the suspension was granted on the condition that she surrenders before the Senior Special Judge’s Court in Dhaka and files an appeal.

After 17 years, Zubaida returned to Bangladesh from London on May 6, accompanying her mother-in-law, BNP chief Khaleda Zia. Her legal team later filed an appeal with the High Court.

The case was filed by the ACC on Sept 26, 2007, at Kafrul Police Station during the military-backed caretaker government. It implicated Tarique, Zubaida, and her mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu.

They were accused of concealing assets worth Tk 48.15 million and providing false information. Zubaida and her mother were charged with aiding Tarique and withholding information.

That same year, both Tarique and Zubaida filed separate writ petitions challenging the legality of the case. On Mar 31, 2008, the ACC submitted the chargesheet.

Eventually, on Aug 2, 2023, Judge Md Asaduzzaman of the Dhaka Senior Special Judge’s Court sentenced Tarique Rahman to nine years in prison and Zubaida Rahman to three years, along with fines.

Zubaida later filed an appeal against her conviction. On May 14, the High Court accepted her appeal and granted her bail. A day earlier, the court had also granted her petition to condone a 587-day delay in filing the appeal.