3 prosecution witnesses testify

Three more prosecution witnesses gave their statements before a Dhaka court yesterday in a graft case filed against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman.

Judge Md Asaduzzaman of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court recorded their statements.

Meanwhile, a section of pro-BNP lawyers led by Masud Ahmed Talukder appeared before the court and protested the May 25 decision for fixing five consecutive days for recording statements.

When asked by the judge whether there was any bar to fixing five back-to-back days to record statements, the lawyers replied in the negative.

The lawyers then left the court and held a rally in front of the Dhaka Bar Association. They also brought out a procession and chanted slogans for withdrawal of the case against the couple.

The witnesses who testified are: Imran Ahmed, principal officer of AB Bank's Elephant Road Branch; SM Musa Karim, senior vice-president; and Obaidur Rashid Khan, senior assistant vice-president of AB Bank's head office.

The court fixed today for next hearing.

Earlier, three prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, gave their statements before the court on different dates.

On September 26, 2007, the ACC 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.However, trial proceedings against Zubaida's mother were cancelled.