A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of three UK bank accounts of BNP acting chief Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman.
Judge KM Imrul Kayes of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Sessions’ Judge Court passed the order on Thursday following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The commission's counsel, Mir Ahamed Salam said: "The ACC is seeking the court's permission to launch a formal investigation into money-laundering charges against Tarique."
The three accounts are with a British bank Santander UK plc.
According to the case, the ACC had formed an inquiry committee while investigating Tarique’s investment abroad, after siphoning-off money.
The transfer of £59,341.93—from White and Blue Consultant Limited to three accounts of Tarique and Zubaida—remained halted at the order of Financial Intelligence Unit UK, it said.
If steps are not taken immediately, this amount could be moved elsewhere, the case statement said, urging the court to order the freezing of the accounts.
Mir Ahamed Salam also said that the court order will be sent to the British Attorney General office through the Home Ministry. The British Attorney General's office will make the order effective sending it to the bank concerned.
Money laundering case
On July 21, 2016 the High Court sentenced BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman to seven years of imprisonment and fined him Tk20 crore for money laundering.
In the case, the court reinstated the punishment of seven-year imprisonment to Tarique's business partner Gias Uddin Al Mamun, in line with reducing his fine to Tk20 crore from Tk40 crore slapped on him earlier.
Tarique was acquitted in the case in 2013.
21 August grenade attack case
On October 10, a speedy trial tribunal sentenced BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to life imprisonment in the two cases filed over the grenade attack on August 21, 2004.
Zia Orphanage trust graft case
On February 8, 2018, Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Court 5, in Dhaka, sentenced Tarique Rahman to 10 years imprisonment and fined him Tk2.10 crore in the case.
