Tarique denied bail, overseas treatment

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A special court yesterday turned down petitions for bail and overseas treatment of the BNP’s detained Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman and asked the authorities to arrange his proper treatment inside the country as per the jail code.

The court also deferred the hearing of charge framing in the Tk 21 crore bribery case against Tarique, former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and six other people till June 15.

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Special Court-3 at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex gave the ruling after the defence submitted three petitions before the court, seeking Tarique’s bail, his treatment abroad and seven days’ time for the defence lawyers to pore over the case documents.

Granting the third appeal, the court ordered authorities to let five counsels of Tarique, including Khandaker Delwar Hossain, meet him in his hospital cabin so they could consult the case with him before the charge-framing hearing resumes on June 15.

On October 4 last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Ramna Police Station against six people, including Babar. The case involves the use of bribe in covering up the murder of Bashundhara Group director Humayun Kabir Sabbir.

Tarique and former BNP lawmaker Qazi Saleemul Huq Kamal were implicated in the case after investigators found their involvement in the crime.

Tarique was brought to the court from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University by an ambulance at about 10:25am. He was in wheelchair during his brief stay there and was taken back to the hospital as his doctor drew the court’s attention to his illness.

It was his first appearance at the trial court in connection with the bribery case.

Babar and Abu Sufian, director of East-West Property Development Ltd, the flagship concern of the Bashundhara Group, were also brought to the court.

Making out the case for sending Tarique abroad for treatment, defence lawyer Khandaker Delwar Hossain told the court that despite having been under treatment in the country for five months, Tarique’s condition is not improving.

He also said two of Tarique’s spinal vertebrae were broken during ‘brutal torture’ in captivity, adding that he cannot stand or sit for a few minutes.

Stating that Tarique’s life is in danger, another defence counsel barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia said according to the medical report, he will be “physically invalid” for life if his proper treatment is not ensured anytime soon.

“Tarique was young, energetic, completely fit at the time of his arrest, but today he is a crippled man: he could not stay in the courtroom for 10 minutes,” he told the court after Tarique was taken back to hospital.

Referring to former army chief Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman who was granted bail on medical grounds, Rafiqul appealed before the court to postpone the trial proceedings until Tarique is physically fit to appear before the court.

The prosecution, however, strongly opposed the bail prayer, saying the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) do not provide for bail in cases filed under the Corruption Prevention Act 1947.

Khandaker Delwar later told reporters that they want justice and transparency in judicial procedures, saying, “We’d take decision after seeing the end of the ongoing drama.”

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