Dhaka: The High Court has acquitted BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman of graft charges, overturning a previous conviction by a lower court. Tarique and Zubaida had been sentenced to nine years and three years in prison, respectively, for their alleged involvement in a graft case.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the judgment was delivered by a High Court division bench led by Justice Md Khasruzzaman. The bench allowed Dr. Zubaida Rahman’s appeal against her jail sentence, effectively setting aside the lower court’s decision. The judgment stated, “The appeal is allowed and setting aside the judgment of the trial court.”
The defense team for Zubaida Rahman included senior jurists such as Zainul Abedin, SM Shahjahan, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim, Barrister Badruddoja Badal, and Advocate Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan, with Advocate Maksud Ullah also participating. On the other hand, senior advocate Asif Hassan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The High Court had previously set today as the date for pronouncing its verdict on Dr. Zubaida Rahman’s appeal. This date was determined after concluding the hearing on the matter on May 26. Earlier, on May 14, the court granted bail to Dr. Zubaida Rahman while her appeal against her conviction and three-year jail sentence was pending. The court’s order stayed her sentence until the appeal was resolved.
Furthermore, the High Court requested documents from the lower court concerning the case and stayed the fine imposed on Dr. Zubaida. This action followed the court’s decision to condone her 578-day delay in filing the appeal against her conviction.
The graft case originated from an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filing with Kafrul Police Station in Dhaka. The case accused Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman, among others, of accumulating illegal wealth and concealing property information. Initially, on August 2, 2023, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Asaduzzaman found them guilty, sentencing Tarique to nine years and Zubaida to three years in prison.
However, a significant development occurred on September 22, 2024, when the Ministry of Home Affairs temporarily suspended Zubaida Rahman’s sentence for one year.