Tarique, Zubaida cleared of graft allegations

Staff Reporter :

The High Court on Tuesday acquitted BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, of all charges in a corruption case in which they had previously been convicted and sentenced by a lower court.

A High Court Division bench, led by Justice Md Khasruzzaman, delivered the verdict, allowing Dr Zubaida Rahman’s appeal and overturning the earlier convictions.

“The appeal is allowed, and the trial court’s judgment is set aside,” the bench stated in its ruling.
Dr Zubaida, who had been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, was represented by a legal team including senior jurists Zainul Abedin, SM Shahjahan, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim, Barrister Badruddoja Badal, and Advocate Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan. Senior Advocate Asif Hassan appeared on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The court had previously granted Dr Zubaida Rahman bail on 14 May after accepting her appeal against the conviction. Her bail remains effective until the conclusion of the appeal process. On 13 May, the court condoned a delay of 578 days in filing the appeal and requested relevant case documents from the lower court. The fine imposed by the trial court was also stayed.

The case was initially filed by the ACC at Kafrul Police Station, alleging that Tarique Rahman and Dr Zubaida had amassed illicit wealth and concealed asset information. On 2 August 2023, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Asaduzzaman sentenced Tarique Rahman to nine years and Dr Zubaida to three years in prison.

Following her conviction, the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Dr Zubaida’s sentence for one year on 22 September 2024.

Tuesday’s High Court decision marks a significant legal victory for the couple and is expected to influence the broader political discourse as national elections approach.