Case against Tarique, Zubaida: Deposition continues amid courtroom chaos

One more prosecution witness today gave his deposition before a Dhaka court in a graft case filed against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman.

The witness gave his deposition amid chaos as a faction of pro-BNP lawyers tried to foil today's trial procedure.

They gathered in front of the packed courtroom and shouted slogans. But prosecution lawyers drove them away, assistant Public Prosecutor Hemayet Uddin Khan told The Daily Star.

The pro-BNP lawyers later held a rally on the court premises around 3:00pm, chanting slogans for the withdrawal of the "false" case.

Meanwhile, Judge Md Asaduzzaman of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court recorded the statement of Md Shah Alam, deputy administrative officer of Dhaka deputy commissioner office.

In his statement, Shah Alam told the court that on November 8, 2007, the investigation officer seized some documents relating to the ownership and publication of the Daily Dinkal from his office.

Shah Alam said he also signed the seizure list.

The court today set tomorrow for the next hearing in the case.

Yesterday, two prosecution witnesses gave their statements amid chaos at the court.

Like today, a group of pro-BNP lawyers entered the courtroom and demanded suspension of recording depositions. The court resumed recording depositions around 6:00pm after the law enforcers drove away the pro-BNP lawyers from the courtroom.

On September 26, 2007, Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Kafrul Police Station against the two and Zubaida's mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, on charges of amassing assets worth Tk 4.82 crore through illegal means and concealing the information of Tk 2.16 crore in their wealth statements.