HC declares Tarique, Zubaida fugitives in graft case

The High Court (HC) on Sunday declared BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman fugitives in a case lodged for allegedly amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4.81 crore and concealing information about this.

The court came up with the order while discharging writ petitions filed by the couple challenging the proceedings of the case and vacating stay in this regard.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo passed the order, reports BSS.

"Now there is no legal bar in continuing the proceedings of the case at the lower court. The court said as Zubaida Rahman is a fugitive; her writ against the proceedings of the case is not acceptable. Tarique Rahman has been convicted in three cases and courts have issued conviction warrant against him. The court asked the lower court concerned to dispose of the case quickly," ACC counsel and senior advocate Khurshid Alam Khan said.

The case was filed with the capital's Kafrul Police Station on September 26, 2007, against Tarique, his wife Zubaida and mother-in-law Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth of Taka 4, 81, 53,561 and concealing information about this.

Tarique and Zubaida filed separate writ petitions against the emergency act and legality of the case. The High Court later had issued rule and stayed the proceedings of the case. Zubaida Rahman also filed a criminal petition against the legality of the case.

The High Court, after holding hearing on the plea, had stayed the proceedings of the case and issued a rule in this regard. After holding hearing on the rule, the High Court on April 12, 2017, quashed the proceedings of the case and discharged the rule. The Court had also asked Zubaida to surrender before the lower court within eight-week.

Zubaida Rahman filed a leave to appeal petition against the order, which was scrapped by the apex court on April 13.