Tarique jailed for 9 years, Zubaida 3 years

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment and his wife Zubaida Rahman was handed a three-year jail sentence in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2007.

Judge Md Asaduzzaman of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court delivered the judgment in their absence.

Tarique was also fined Tk 3 crore, in default of which he will have to serve three more months in jail.

The court fined Zubaida Tk 35 lakh. If she fails to pay the money, she will have to serve one more month in prison.

Earlier in the day, pro-BNP lawyers were staging demonstrations on the court premises against the trial of the case.

Ahead of the judgment, additional police forces were deployed on the court premises, said Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Anisur Rahman.

On July 27, the prosecution completed arguments and sought highest punishment for the couple.

Earlier, the court recorded statements of 42 prosecution witnesses, including complainant of the case.

The couple has been shown fugitives in the charge sheet.

On April 13, the same court framed charges against them. Before that, the court dismissed a lawyer's petition seeking permission to defend them.

Tarique and Zubaida have been in London since 2008.

Tarique is accused in 15 other cases, mostly filed during the caretaker government rule in 2007 and 2008, and Zubaida has been indicted only in this one.

Accepting the charges brought against them, this court on November 1 last year issued arrest warrants against the duo.

On June 26 last year, the HC declared Tarique and Zubaida "fugitives" and rejected their writ petitions challenging the filing of the graft case.

The HC also withdrew the stay order on the case.

On September 26, 2007, the ACC filed the case with Kafrul Police Station against the two and Zubaida's mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, on charges of amassing assets worth Tk 4.82 crore through illegal means and concealing the information of Tk 2.16 crore in their wealth statements.

After a probe, the investigation officer pressed charges against the three on March 31, 2009.

However, trial proceedings against Zubaida's mother were cancelled.

Tarique has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack cases.

He was also sentenced in two other cases, including the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE

The ACC on September 26, 2007 sued Tarique, Zubaida Rahman, Iqbalmand Banu for amassing illegal wealth and concealing wealth information.

Tarique was charged with earning wealth over Tk 4.82 crore illegally and concealing information of properties worth over Tk 4.23 crore in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC.

Zubaida and her mother were accused of abetting Tarique in establishing that the money was earned through legal means, ACC Deputy Director Muhammad Jahirul Huda, also the complainant of the case, mentioned in the case filed with Kafrul Police Station.

Tarique submitted his wealth statement to the anti-graft body on June 10 of 2007 through the jail authorities, claiming to have assets in the name of his wife, his daughter and himself worth Tk 1.37 crore.

Jahirul submitted a report to the ACC on July 25 of 2007 after an investigation into Tarique's wealth account.

In the investigation it was found that Tarique became the owner of Bangla newspaper Dainik Dinkal by taking it over as publisher and printer from Prof Mazidul Islam through an agreement on August 12, 1998.

The ACC deputy director mentioned in the case that according to vouchers, cashbooks, ledgers and audit reports, by becoming the daily's owner Tarique owned over Tk 4.15 crore against an investment of over Tk 1.74 crore.

Tarique also concealed information about 250 shares of Rahman Group worth Tk 2.5 lakh in his wealth statement.

It was also mentioned in the case statement that Tarique, his wife and daughter own land and three Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDR) worth Tk 58.45 lakh. But the wealth did not match Tarique's actual income.

Of the wealth, 2.01 acres of land at Gabtoli in Bogura was in Tarique's name. His wife had two FDRs -- one worth Tk 25 lakh and the other Tk 10 lakh -- with the Banani branch of Prime Bank Ltd. Besides, there was an FDR worth Tk 20 lakh with the Banani branch of Dhaka Bank Ltd in the name of Tarique's daughter Zaima Rahman.

In his wealth statement, Tarique mentioned that he bought the piece of land for Tk 3.45 lakh in May 2003 with the money he had earned from business. However, his total expenditure during 2001-2006 was more than his income, which means he bought the land property through dishonest means or with unknown sources of income.

The case statement said Zubaida claimed that her mother provided the money for the two FDRs.

Iqbalmand Banu also said she provided the amount from the money she had got at a time renting out her houses at Mohakhali and Motijheel.

In primary investigations, however, their claims proved to be false. One Enayetul Bari Jewel, who has no relation or involvement with Zubaida, deposited the money with the bank for opening the FDRs.

The investigating officer believes that Tarique provided the money from his undeclared income, the case statement said.

The case also said Tarique claimed that he provided Tk 20 lakh for opening the FDR for his daughter taking loan from Rahman Group, but no evidence was found in favour of the loan.