Acquittal scrapped, 7yr jail for Tarique Rahman

High Court has scrapped acquittal of BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman in a money laundering case and handed him seven-year imprisonment and fined Tk 20 crore.

A HC bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain announced the verdict on Thursday morning.

The HC upheld seven years of jail term for Tarique’s friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun. However, Mamun’s previous fine amount of Tk 40 crore has been commuted and levelled with Tarique at Tk 20 crore.

In 2009, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against Tarique and Giasuddin Al Mamun for illegally sending Tk 20.41 crore to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
 
On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique and sentenced Mamun to seven years in jail and fined him Tk 40 crore.
 
On December 5 that year, the ACC appealed to the HC, challenging Tarique's acquittal in the politically sensitive case.
 
Following the appeal, the HC on January 19 in 2014 asked the lower court to send the case records to it and ordered Tarique to surrender before the trial court.