HC orders Tarique to surrender

The High Court has ordered BNP chief Khaleda Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman to surrender after it accepted an appeal challenging a court verdict that cleared him in a money laundering case.

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The HC bench of Justice Md Nizamul Huq and Justice Jahangir Hossain gave the order on Sunday after a hearing on the merit of the appeal filed by the Anti Corruption Commission.

Earlier, on Nov 17, Judge Md Motahar Hossain of the Special Judges' Court-3 had acquitted Rahman of money laundering charges.

But Tarique Rahman's close business associate Giasuddin-Al-Mamun had been sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Tk 400 million for complicity in the case.

On Dec 5, the ACC filed an appeal with the High Court challenging the verdict. The hearing on its had started on Jan 16.

Khurshid Alam argued on behalf of the ACC, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney Amit Talukder represented the state.

"The Court has accepted the appeal and asked Tarique Rahman to surrender at the trial court. He can seek bail if he surrenders," Alam told bdnews24.com after the hearing.

Tarique Rahman was not present during the hearing of the case, as he had been living in London since 2008 after getting bail from the Supreme Court.