Bangladesh BNP leader sentenced to jail
July 21, 2016
On Thursday, the High Court in Bangladesh overturned a ruling from a lower court that acquitted Tarique Rahman on money laundering charges, instead sentencing him to seven years in jail and a fine of 200 million taka ($2.54 million, 2.3 million euros).
Rahman had previously been acquitted on money laundering charges pertaining to a payment he helped obtain for a friend.
"The high court said Tarique Rahman influenced political power to help his close friend Giasuddin Mamun to get and then launder 200 million taka ($2.5 million)," deputy attorney general Moniruzzaman Kabir was quoted by the AFP news agency.
Rahman currently lives in exile in London. He is considered a leader in the BNP opposition party in Bangladesh and is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Defense lawyers for Rahman are still considering an appeal to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, however, Rahman will be banned from politics under the conviction.
The politician situation in Bangladesh has been tense for years and has recently worsened after attacks by Islamist extremists.
The government has alluded to BNP's involvement in efforts to destabilize the country.
mz/kms (AFP, AP)