The High Court (HC) yesterday asked Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman to surrender before the lower courts concerned within 30 days in three extortion cases filed against him in 2007.
A HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order.
The HC also asked the authorities concerned to soon start the trial of five cases, including two of tax evasion ones, filed against Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Deputy attorney general Tapash Kumar said three extortion cases have been filed against Tarique Rahman with Shahbagh, Kafrul and Gulshan police stations in 2007 while two more tax evasion cases with lower courts in 2007 and 2008 during the military-backed caretaker government.
In 2007, Tarique filed separate petitions with the High Court challenging the legality of the five cases.
Following the writ petitions, the HC in 2007 and 2008 stayed the trial proceedings of the five cases and issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the five cases filed against Tarique should not be declared illegal and unlawful.
Tarique is now living in London in self-exile along with his family members.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday issued warrants for the arrest of 30 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, including BNP vice-chairman Barkatullah Bulu, in a violence case filed in 2014 with Paltan police station.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order after accepting charges against 43 people, including BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in the case.
The court also asked the officer in-charge of the police station to submit a report on the progress of arrest before it on January 25.
Thirteen of the 43 accused, including BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas, Rafiqul Amin, are now on bail while 30 others are on the run.
Tarique Rahman
