Dhaka: The High Court (HC) today excused BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman, for her 578 days of delay in filing an appeal against a lower court conviction and a three-year jail sentence in a graft case. A High Court division bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman passed the order, allowing a petition from Dr. Zubaida Rahman.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, senior advocate Zainul Abedin and Barrister Kaiser Kamal presented the plea before the court, while senior advocate Asif Hassan represented the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC had initially filed the case with the city’s Kafrul Police Station against three individuals, including Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman, for amassing illegal wealth and concealing information about the properties.
On August 2, 2023, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Asaduzzaman sentenced Tarique Rahman to nine years and Zubaida Rahman to three years in prison for the case. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Zubaida Rahman’s sentence for one year on September 22, 2024.