Staff Reporter :
The High Court will hear on whether BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman could appoint lawyers for appearing in the hearing of a corruption case filed against them for amassing assets through illegal means and concealing information in their wealth statement as they are fugitive in the eye of law.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo passed
the order after hearing the parties of the case and set June 5 this year for rule hearing issued in this regard.
Lawyers AJ Mohammad Ali and Kayser Kamal appeared in the court on behalf of Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman, while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik appeared for the state.
During the hearing, the ACC lawyer said Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman cannot appoint lawyers as they are fugitive in the eye of law. Then the court said we will also hear on whether Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman could appoint lawyers for appearing in the hearing while they are absconding.
After almost 15 years of issuing two rules questioning the legality of the corruption case filed against Tarique Rahman, his wife, and her mother, the High Court on April 19 sets date for hearing on it. In response to a prayer filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the High Court bench took the initiative.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case on September 26, 2007, with Kafrul Police Station against Tarique Rahman, who is now in London, his wife Zubaida, and her mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing assets through illegal means and concealing information in their wealth statement.
Tarique faces charges of earning around Tk 48.15 million from undisclosed sources and concealing information on the assets. His wife and mother-in-law were sued for assisting him and concealing information.
The same year Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida filed three separate writ petitions with the High Court challenging the legality of the corruption filed against them. The High Court then stayed the proceedings of the case and issued rules.
In the rules the High Court asked the state and the ACC to explain as to why the filing and initiation of the case under the then Emergency Power Rules should not be declared illegal. This rule came in the cause-list recently.
Meanwhile, following another petition filed by Zubaida, the HC on April 8, 2008, stayed the proceedings of the case against her and issued a rule asking the ACC to explain as to why the proceedings against her should not be scrapped.
After holding hearing on the rule, the HC on April 12, 2017 rejected the petition, lifted the stay order on the trial proceedings and asked Zubaida Rahman to surrender before a lower court concerned in eight weeks in the corruption case.
Without surrendering to the trial court, Zubaida Rahman filed a leave to appeal petition with the apex court challenging the HC verdict. After final hearing on the leave to appeal petition, the apex court on April 13 this year dismissed it.
