Tarique-Zubaida graft case: 3 witnesses testify before court

Three officials of a private bank testified in court on Monday against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman in a graft case filed against them for acquiring wealth beyond their known sources of income and concealing information in their affidavits.

Before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Asaduzzaman on Monday, former assistant vice president of AB Bank's Karwanbazar branch SM Musa Karim, senior official Obaidur Rashid Khan and official Imran Ahmed of the same branch testified.

After their testimony, the court fixed Tuesday as the next date of hearing.

So far, six of the 56 witnesses in the case have testified. However, none of the witnesses have to face cross-examination as the accused are absconding.

The trial began on 21 May with the statement of ACC Deputy Director Zahirul Huda.

On 25 May, Emran Ali Shikder of Kawkhali in Pirojpur and Syed Azad Iqbal of Lohagara in Narail testified.

Earlier, on 13 April, a Dhaka court framed charges against Tarique Rahman and Zubaida in the graft case.

On 01 November, 2022, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants for Tarique and Zubaida in the graft case.

The court also ordered to give notice in the newspaper to appear before the court on 19 January.

On 26 June, the High Court ordered the judicial court to dispose of the case as soon as possible.

On 26 September, 2007, the ACC lodged a complaint with Kafrul police against Tarique Rahman, Zubaida and her mother Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk4.81 crore and concealing the information.

In the same year, the High Court issued a rule suspending the trial proceedings in the case after hearing a petition filed by Zubaida.

In 2008, a charge sheet was filed against three people.

The HC rejected the rule in 2017 and asked her to surrender before the court within eight weeks.