Bangladesh News

The High Court on Tuesday stayed for six months the proceedings of the extortion case filed against the BNP’s senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman, also the eldest son of the immediate-past prime minister, Khaleda Zia.
A High Court bench of Justice Abdul Wahhab Mian and Justice M Emdadul Haque also issued a rule on the government to explain in four weeks why the case would not be quashed.
The court passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Tarique for quashing the case.
TH Khan with Khandker Mahbubuddin Ahmad, Ruhul Quddus Kajol and Sanaullah Mian moved the case for Tarique and deputy attorney general Abdur Rauf appeared for the government.
Earlier in the morning, the trial court of metropolitan magistrate Abdur Rauf Khan, adjourned till April 22 the hearing in framing charge against Tarique in the Tk 1 crore extortion case, as his counsel Sharfuddin Khan Mukul told the court the High Court was on Tuesday scheduled for passing order on the petition for quashing the case.
Tarique was not produced in the speedy trial court on Tuesday for the same reason, prosecution told the court.
Tarique’s wife Zubaida Rahman for the first time was present in the courtroom during hearing.
The army-led joint forces arrested Tarique from the house of Khaleda in the Dhaka cantonment on March 7. He was changed with extortion of Tk 1 crore from a construction firm the next day.
The firm owner, Amin Ahmed Bhuiyan, filed the case with the Gulsan police on March 8.