Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Tarique charged with money laundering

Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of former premier and Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s chairperson Khaleda Zia, was charged with money laundering on Monday.
Dhaka’s special judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain framed the charges against Tarique, who is also BNP’s senior vice-chairman, in his absence and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Charges were also framed against Tarique’s business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun, who was in the dock.
The court posted September 11 for the commencement of the formal trial of the case with the recording of the depositions of prosecution witnesses.
This is the first-ever case in which Tarique needs to face a formal trial.
According to the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2002, Tarique and Mamun may be sentenced to imprisonment for seven years if the charges are proved to be correct.
The same court on July 25 had asked Tarique to appear before it on August 8.
Before the framing of the charges on Monday, the court rejected two separate petitions submitted by the counsels of Tarique and Mamun for deferring the indictment.
Tarique’s defence lawyers — Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, Rafiqul Islam Mia, AM Mahbubuddin Khokan and Fakhrul Islam — said that he was not in hiding.
Tarique, arrested by the army-led joint forces on 7 March, 2007 and sued in at least 12 cases during the regime of the interim government, was released from the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital’s prison cell on 3 September, 2008 on being granted bail by the High Court in all the 12 cases, said the defence counsels.
They added that Tarique then went to London for medical treatment and was still undergoing treatment there.
They appealed for the indictment to be adjourned till disposal of the petition filed on behalf of Tarique with the Appellate Division against a High Court order rejecting Tarique’s plea against the trial proceedings of the case.  The High Court on July 12 dismissed Tarique’s petition as it was not pressed by his counsels.
Opposing the defence pleas, chief special prosecutor Anisul Haq, and the Anti-Corruption Commission’s counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, argued that the indictment should not be deferred as the High Court had not issued any instruction that could stop the indictment that had already been deferred four times.
The Dhaka senior special judge’s court on May 5 took cognisance of the charges pressed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against Tarique and Mamun.
The Appellate Division on June 2 dismissed a petition filed by Tarique to seek review of its February 9 verdict that had ruled for holding his trial under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2002 instead of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009 that has replaced the 2002 Act.
The Anti-Corruption Commission’s assistant director, Mohammad Ibrahim, filed the case with the Dhaka Cantonment thana on 26 October, 2009, accusing Tarique and Mamun of siphoning off Tk 204 million to Singapore, between 2003 and 2007, in violation of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009.
On 6 July, 2010, Ibrahim submitted charge-sheets against Tarique and Mamun, showing 18 persons as prosecution witnesses.
This was the first case filed against Tarique after the Awami League-led alliance assumed office on 6 January, 2009.
The ACC pressed the charges a few days back after Tarique reportedly held a meeting behind closed doors in London with BNP leaders staying in European countries.
Mamun is now behind bars, facing a raft of corruption charges.
Khaleda’s youngest son Arafat Rahman was jailed for six years and fined Tk 190.41 million on June 23 for siphoning off SGD 28,84,000 and USD 9,32,000 to Singapore.
Tarique is also facing charges in two cases filed against the 21 August, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue that killed many persons and maimed scores of others.
Dhaka’s metropolitan magistrate, Keshob Roy Chowdhury, on August 1 asked the authorities concerned to publish advertisements in two Bangla national dailies, asking Tarique and Khaleda Zia’s political secretary Harris Chowdhury and 10 others to appear before it in connection with the August 21 grenade attack.
The magistrate passed the order after some thanas submitted reports on the execution of warrants issued earlier for the arrest of the 12 persons, stating that they could not be arrested as they had gone into hiding.
On July 14 the Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge, Mohammad Zahurul Haque, issued warrants for the arrest of the 12, including Tarique, for the grenade attack in another case filed under the Explosive Substances Act.
The metropolitan sessions judge also asked the officers-in-charge of the concerned thanas to submit their reports by August 11.

-With New Age input

Related News

Bangladesh and KSA sign pact for workers’ rights

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have just inked a labour recruitment agreement, marking the first deal aimed at promoting fair recruitment practices and protecting workers’ rights. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser, Prof. Asif Nazrul, and the Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Engineer Ahmad Bin Solaiman Al-Rajhi, recently came ... Read more

Poor pay, allowances of teachers affect education

World Teacher’s Day today Shahin Akhter Poor pay-scale and allowances and low social status mark the poor condition of the teachers in Bangladesh affecting the education sector, observed educationists and researchers. They also said that the Bangladeshi teachers were lagging much behind their fellows even in the neighbouring countries in terms of these facilities and ... Read more

Protecting hilsa: 22-day fishing ban begins

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has put a 22-day halt on catching, transporting, storing, selling, and marketing hilsa throughout the country. This measure aims to protect the fish during its crucial breeding season. The ban started at midnight yesterday and will last until October 25, as stated in a notification from the Ministry of ... Read more

Road fatalities: 446 crashes, 417 lives lost in September

News Desk : dhakamirror.com In September, a tragic report from the Road Safety Foundation revealed that at least 417 people lost their lives and 682 were injured in 446 road accidents throughout Bangladesh. Among those who died, there were 63 women and 47 children, as highlighted in the foundation’s monthly report released today. In 151 ... Read more

Man’s fatal fall into Ramna Park lake

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A tragic incident occurred yesterday at Ramna Park in the capital, where a man drowned in the lake. The victim has been identified as 55-year-old Wasimul Haq. The police were able to identify him using fingerprint records. According to Ramna police SI Mizanur Rahman, he was discovered unconscious around 6:00 PM ... Read more

Tariff Commission’s size-based hilsa pricing strategy

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC), also known as the Tariff Commission, has suggested setting a maximum retail price for hilsa based on its size. This recommendation comes in response to the unusual spike in prices seen in the local market. On Sunday, the Tariff Commission released a report detailing ... Read more

Ekushey Book Fair won’t happen in December

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangla Academy announced yesterday (28 September), that the previously scheduled dates for the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 have been postponed. In a press release, they explained that this decision was made following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 21, which indicated that the fair should ... Read more

Working in Bangladesh is quite challenging: CEC

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Election Commission is grappling with a mix of challenges, both seen and unseen, as it gears up for the upcoming elections and responds to various demands, shared chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Saturday. “These hurdles might not be apparent from the outside, but we’re constantly navigating through them,” ... Read more

Travel ban on Keokradong hill to be lifted starting from 1 October

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Great news for travelers! Keokradong hill in Bandarban’s Ruma upazila is set to welcome tourists again starting October 1. The district administration has finally lifted the travel ban that had been in effect for almost three years. Bandarban Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shamim Ara Rini announced the decision today (27 September) during ... Read more

Tree planting campaign to lower pollution, make city more attractive

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md Shahjahan Mia has inaugurated a tree plantation and greening programme covering 33 road medians, spanning a total length of 31 kilometres, within the corporation’s jurisdiction. Under the “Zero Soil” programme, ornamental flowering trees and grasses will be planted across 28 DSCC medians, while the ... Read more

Krishi Bank ranks third in remittance collection

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Krishi Bank has shown remarkable success in collecting remittances from expatriates during the first eight months of 2025 (January–August). Known as bank for farmers due to its agricultural loan services, this state-owned institution has climbed to the third position in remittance collection from abroad in that timeframe. This notable achievement has ... Read more

North Bay low : Rain forecast for Bangladesh

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Many parts of the country is expected to witness moderate to heavy and very heavy rainfall in the coming days due to the formation of a low-pressure system over the north Bay and adjoining coastal areas, the Met office said in its latest forecast. According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s 120-hour weather ... Read more

Metrorail boosts service: Extended hours & more frequent arrivals

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka metrorail service is set to start operating earlier in the morning and later at night to better serve the growing number of passengers. Service hours will be extended by 30 minutes at both the beginning and end of the day, and the interval between trains will be reduced by nearly ... Read more

22% minors in Bangladesh’s sex trade

News Desk : dhakamirror.com At least 22 percent of victims of commercial sexual exploitation (abuse of a person, or a minor, through sexual activities in exchange for money, goods, or other benefits) in Bangladesh are children, said speakers at an event yesterday. They shared the information at the launch of “Project Shurakkha”, an initiative of ... Read more

WB Reports Bangladesh Heat Costs at $1.78 Billion in 2024

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Rising temperatures in Bangladesh are fueling a surge in heat-related illnesses, leading to the loss of 250 million workdays in 2024 and economic losses estimated at $1.33–1.78 billion, representing about 0.3 to 0.4 percent of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, according to a new World Bank report. The report ... Read more

Police clearance no longer required for passports

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced that police verification will no longer be necessary for obtaining a passport, thereby reducing unnecessary hassle for citizens. “Getting a passport is a basic right. We have established a rule that eliminates the need for police verification,” he stated. While speaking at the opening session ... Read more

Metro rail achieves record 4 lakh daily passengers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Metro Rail has achieved a remarkable milestone by carrying over 400,000 passengers in a single day. The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which operates the Metro Rail, announced this achievement on their official Facebook page on Friday night. For the first time, Metro Rail recorded 403,164 passengers. The Metro Rail ... Read more

Most people, about 66% think civil servants behave as if they are rulers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com More than 100,000 participants have contributed their responses to reform commission’s online survey 80% of the respondents believe that the administration is not approachable for the general public, according to a survey conducted by the Public Administration Reform Commission. Additionally, 66% of participants feel that civil servants act as if they ... Read more

Former Justice Abdur Rouf dies

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Md Abdur Rouf has passed away at the age of 91. He died around 10:00 am while receiving treatment at Insaf Barakah Kidney and General Hospital in Dhaka, as stated in a press release. Justice Rouf had been battling heart disease, lung complications, kidney issues, and ... Read more

Bangladesh climbed 4 positions to rank 93rd in global passport index

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh has climbed four notches up in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, ranking 93rd out of 99. However, the number of visa-free destinations for Bangladeshi passport holders has dropped from 42 in 2024 to 39 this year, reflecting a decline in global travel privileges. Despite this improvement in rank — ... Read more