<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">A Dhaka court on Thursday framed charges against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman in a graft case filed against them for acquiring wealth beyond their known sources of income and concealing information in their affidavits.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With charge framing the formal trial in the case against them began.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special judge Md Asaduzzaman passed the order in absence of both the accused.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The court also ordered that Tarique and Zubaida will not be allowed to fight the legal battle through a lawyer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, on November 01, 2022, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants for Tarique and Dr Zubaida in the graft case.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The court also ordered to give notice in the newspaper to appear before the court on January 19.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On June 26, the High court ordered the judicial court to dispose of the case as soon as possible.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The HC also rejected the couple’s writ petitions, challenging the corruption case against them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As both of them remain fugitives, the court rejected the writ petitions – saying these are not acceptable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The court also withdrew the stay order on the trial proceedings of the case filed against them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On September 26, 2007, ACC lodged a complaint with Kafrul police against Tarique Rahman, Zubaida and her mother Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 4.81 crore and concealing the information.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the same year, the High Court issued a rule suspending the trial proceedings in the case after hearing a petition filed by Zubaida.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 2008, a charge sheet was filed against three people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The HC rejected the rule in 2017 and asked her to surrender before the court within eight weeks. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>