Tarique's bail prayer in bribery case rejected
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
A special court Monday summarily rejected the bail petition filed by BNP senior joint secretary general and ex-Prime Minister (PM) Khaleda Zia's eldest son Tarique Rahman in the Tk 210 million (21 crore) bribery case, reports UNB.
The court of judge Shahed Noor Uddin, after hearing both sides, passed the order denying him bail.
The court in its order, however, allowed five counsel for Tarique to meet him at hospital prison cell for consultation in connection with the case, which involves the murder of a Bashundhara Group director.
Besides, the court ordered the authorities concerned to provide Tarique better treatment.
Before passing the order, the court, upon defence time prayer, further deferred to June 15 the date for arraignment hearing on the bribery case in which former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar is one of the co-accused.
On June 3, the court once deferred the date for framing charges as the prosecution failed to produce Tarique due to his illness. As the court resumed, Tarique, who suffers from multifarious heath complications, was pushed into the courtroom in a wheelchair for appearance for the first time in this case.
Earlier, he was driven to the court compound by an ambulance amid tight security for his maiden appearance in a trial court since his arrest on March 7 last year amid a purge in the interim period.
An eyewitness account said his "physical condition was so bad that he even could not sit in the wheelchair for five minutes at a stretch".
At one stage, the situation compelled the court to ask the prosecution to take him away and send him back to waiting ambulance on advice of his attending physician, the witness account added.
The court of judge Shahed Noor Uddin, after hearing both sides, passed the order denying him bail.
The court in its order, however, allowed five counsel for Tarique to meet him at hospital prison cell for consultation in connection with the case, which involves the murder of a Bashundhara Group director.
Besides, the court ordered the authorities concerned to provide Tarique better treatment.
Before passing the order, the court, upon defence time prayer, further deferred to June 15 the date for arraignment hearing on the bribery case in which former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar is one of the co-accused.
On June 3, the court once deferred the date for framing charges as the prosecution failed to produce Tarique due to his illness. As the court resumed, Tarique, who suffers from multifarious heath complications, was pushed into the courtroom in a wheelchair for appearance for the first time in this case.
Earlier, he was driven to the court compound by an ambulance amid tight security for his maiden appearance in a trial court since his arrest on March 7 last year amid a purge in the interim period.
An eyewitness account said his "physical condition was so bad that he even could not sit in the wheelchair for five minutes at a stretch".
At one stage, the situation compelled the court to ask the prosecution to take him away and send him back to waiting ambulance on advice of his attending physician, the witness account added.