The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday rejected a state petition seeking permission to appeal a High Court ruling that dismissed four extortion cases against Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
The cases were filed during the military-backed interim government in 2007.
A four-member bench, led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, issued the dismissal order after additional attorney general Aneek R Haque informed the court that there was no evidence directly linking Tarique to receiving the alleged extortion money.
Aneek further argued that the money could not be traced to any withdrawals from the complainants鈥� accounts.
On October 23, 2024, the High Court bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Enayetur Hossain declared the proceedings of the four cases illegal, effectively nullifying them.
The state later appealed the High Court鈥檚 decision in December 2024, according to Tarique鈥檚 lawyer Kaiser Kamal.
The cases were initially filed between 2007 and 2008 by four businessmen who accused Tarique of extortion during the BNP-led government.
Of the four cases, three were lodged with the Gulshan police and one with the Dhanmondi police following Tarique鈥檚 arrest on March 8, 2007.
Senior lawyer Zainul Abedin, representing Tarique, argued that the cases were fabricated as part of a political agenda to marginalise BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and Tarique from national politics during the interim regime.
He highlighted that in one case, filed by Amin Ahmed, the First Information Report alleged extortion of Tk 1 crore but failed to specify who demanded the money.
Tarique鈥檚 lawyer Kaiser Kamal alleged that Tarique faced torture in custody, which caused severe damage to his spine, prompting the then government to send him to London for medical treatment just before the December 2008 national election.
Kaiser said that at least 54 cases were filed against Tarique, resulting in conviction in six.
Currently, 18鈥�19 cases remain pending.
Kaiser Kamal, however, noted that these pending cases did not legally prevent Tarique from returning to Bangladesh.
Tarique, who has been residing in London since 2008, maintains his innocence, with his defence team labelling the cases as politically motivated.
