Biswajit Mondal, Voice 9, Dhaka Bureau: Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, and his wife,
Dr. Zubaida Rahman, were condemned to prison by the court. Tarique Rahman was
sentenced to a nine-year jail term for accumulating unlawful assets and hiding
information about his holdings, while Zubaida received a three-year sentence
for assisting him.
The order was issued by Dhaka Metropolitan
Senior Special Judge Md. Asaduzzaman at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Tarique Rahman was also fined Tk 3 crore by the
court. For failing to pay the money, he faces an additional three months in
prison. Zubaida was fined 35 lakh taka. He will also be imprisoned for another
month for failing to pay the money.
Meanwhile, the state seized Tarique Rahman's
assets worth Tk 2.74 crore. Because the two accused were fleeing, the court
issued arrest warrants as well as new conviction warrants.
The court stated in its decision that the
verdict will take effect whenever the accused are arrested or surrendered to a
court.
Tarique and Jobaida were charged on September
26, 2007, at the Kafrul Police Station. The complaint was brought by ACC Deputy
Director Zahirul Huda. They were charged with possessing Tk 4,81,53,561 in
excess of their stated income, hiding information regarding their holdings, and
amassing assets in excess of their known income.
Tarique Rahman's mother-in-law, Syeda Iqbal Mand
Banu, was also made an accused in the case.
In 2008, ACC Deputy Director Toufiqul Islam
submitted a charge sheet against the three. Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu was acquitted
in the case.
The arguments in the case concluded on July 27 this
year. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Special Public Prosecutor Mosharraf
Hossain Kajal concluded the hearing on behalf of the state. The court then
fixed the date for the verdict.
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