Issue notice asking Tarique to surrender: HC

The High Court yesterday directed its registrar to issue a notice asking BNP leader Tarique Rahman, now in London, to surrender before the trial court by February 14 in a money laundering case, involving Tk 20.41 crore.

It also asked the registrar to publish advertisements in at least two widely circulated English and Bangla dailies during this period about its accepting the appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against his acquittal in the case.

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The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain fixed February 14 for passing further orders in this regard.

The bench passed the order during hearing a prayer moved by ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan for fixing a date for hearing the appeal.

Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the HC came up with the order after he argued before it that following the appeal, another HC bench on January 19, 2014 ordered Tarique to surrender before the trial court in the case and also asked the trial court to grant him bail after his surrender.

But, Tarique did not surrender to the lower court and even, the authorities concerned of the trial court could not reach the notice about the HC's accepting the ACC's appeal against his acquittal and its order for his surrender, as he is now in London, he said.

The ACC lawyer also told the HC that Tarique is a fugitive from justice in the case.

The anti-graft watchdog filed the case against Tarique and his friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun in October 2009 for siphoning off the money to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.

On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique and sentenced Mamun to seven years' imprisonment and fined him Tk 40 crore in the case.

On December 5 that year, the ACC appealed to the HC, challenging Tarique's acquittal.