Tarique Rahman, his wife's graft trial wasn't 'impartial': HC

The High Court (HC) has observed that the trial of the corruption case against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman was not conducted impartially at the lower court, reports bdnews24.com.

The verdict also said that there were violations of the law in the speedy taking of testimony and the announcement of the verdict in the trial court, the failure to issue a notice to Zubaida, and the framing of charges.

The HC made the statements in the 52-page full verdict published on the Supreme Court's website on Monday.

Tarique was sentenced to nine years in prison and his wife Zubaida Rahman to three years in prison in a case filed on charges of concealing information about assets and acquiring assets beyond known sources of income.

"It appears from the records that the testimonies of 42 witnesses were recorded within two months and four days, and the judgment was pronounced immediately after eight days of the completion of recording depositions. The progress and conclusion of the trial at such a high speed created a widespread belief that it was not held impartially," the court said in its observations.

On May 28, the HC delivered a verdict acquitting Tarique and Zubaida. The single bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman announced the decision based on Zubaida's appeal petition against the lower court's verdict.