Tarique Rahman The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld the High Court verdicts that scrapped four extortion cases filed against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman during the regime of the military-backed caretaker government in 2007.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam dismissed four separate leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the state challenging the HC judgements.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque represented the state during hearing on the petitions, while Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon appeared for Tarique Rahman. Pro-BNP lawyers Zainul Abedin, Md Bodruddoza Badal, Kayser Kamal and Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal also were present in the court, representing the BNP's top leader.
Earlier on October 23 last year, the HC scrapped the four extortion cases filed against Tarique Rahman after holding hearing on the rules that questioned the legality of trial in the cases.
The rules were issued by the HC following petitions filed by Tarique in 2008, when he was in Bangladesh.
Barrister Kayser Kamal said, "The High Court scrapped the cases. However, the state later filed leave-to-appeal petitions against the High Court verdicts. After hearing from both sides, the apex court dismissed the state petitions. As a result the verdicts of the High Court will remain in force."
According to the lawyers of the BNP leader, one Azam Ahmed filed one of the four cases with the Gulshan Police Station on March 8, 2007, on charges of extorting Tk 10.0 million.
On March 27 the same year, Aftab Uddin, managing director of Reza Construction, registered another case with the same police station against Tarique and others alleging extortion of Tk 13.2 million.
On April 1, 2007, one Mir Zahir Hossain filed another case with the Dhanmondi Police Station alleging extortion of Tk 5.3 million.
The other case was filed with the Gulshan Police Station on May 4, 2007, on the charge of demanding a dividend from the earnings of a business project. Syed Abu Shahed Sohel, an official of construction firm Al Amin, filed the case.
Barrister Kayser Kamal said 17 to 18 more cases were still pending against Tarique Rahman.
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