The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has suspended the seven-year prison sentence of Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in a money laundering case involving Singapore. The same relief was extended to his associate and businessman, Giasuddin Al Mamun.
The decision was made on Tuesday (10 December) by a bench led by Chief Justice Sayed Refaat Amed.
Barrister Kaiser Kamal, representing Tarique Rahman, argued the case, accompanied by Barrister Nasir Uddin Asim, Barrister Md Zakir Hossain, Advocate Zakir Hossain, and Advocate Azmal Hossain.
The case dates back to 17 November 2013, when a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique Rahman of charges related to money laundering in Singapore. However, the same court sentenced Giasuddin Al Mamun to seven years in prison.
In 2016, the High Court overturned the lower court’s acquittal of Tarique Rahman, sentencing him to seven years in prison and imposing a fine of Tk 20 crore. This marked Tarique Rahman’s first conviction in any case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), dissatisfied with the lower court's 2013 ruling, had appealed to the High Court, leading to the revised judgment. Following this, appeals were filed in the Appellate Division, culminating in Tuesday's decision to suspend the sentences temporarily.
