2024-09-19 16:48:31
Acting Chairman of BNP Tariq Rahman left the country on September 11, 2008. He has been living in exile in the UK with his family for 16 years.
Before and after this BNP leader left the country, one case after another was filed against him. He was sentenced in four cases including life imprisonment. Besides, the High Court also banned the publication of Tariq Rahman’s speech in any media of the country.
After Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country on August 5, the speech of Tariq Rahman was aired in all the media of the country. BNP senior leaders also said that Tarek Rahman will return to the country very soon.
But even after 45 days, the legal hurdle to return Tariq Rahman to the country has not been resolved. However, if Tariq Rahman’s consent is received, an application will be made to the government seeking suspension of his sentence, said Advocate Zainul Abedin, the legal leader of the party.
Tariq Rahman’s lawyer Barrister Kaiser Kamal said that he will return to the country after completing the legal process. However, this lawyer also said that Tariq Rahman will decide when he will return.
Zainul Abedin, President of BNP Lawyers Forum, said that they are waiting for Tarek Rahman’s consent. If he gets consent, he will apply section 401 of the Criminal Procedure Code to the government to suspend Tariq Rahman’s sentence. The Awami League government temporarily released party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia by applying the same clause.
In this regard, BNP’s legal secretary, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, said, ‘Tareek Rahman said that he will not return to the country by any other means than the legal way. He respects the law and the constitution. That is why he wants to deal legally with the cases that have been decided against him. And those that have not been judged, legal action is being taken on our behalf.
Incidentally, there are more than fifty cases against Tariq Rahman. These cases were filed after the caretaker government of 2007 and later Awami League came to power. Among them, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack case. Besides, the sentence has been announced after the trial of 5 more cases. Some other cases are pending. However, he was not sentenced in any case. He was found to be a fugitive and tried in all the cases.