After the fall of the Awami League government, BNP leaders and activists are now waiting for the party’s acting chairman Tariq Rahman to return to the country. They hope that he will return to the country as soon as possible. Party leaders and activists say that Tariq Rahman is a victim of political revenge of the previous Awami League government. There are more than half a hundred cases against him, including the 21 August grenade attack case. These cases took place after the caretaker government of 2007 and later Awami League came to power. Notable cases have been reported by the BBC.
21 August Grenade Attack Case : On 21 August 2004, a grenade attack took place during the Awami League political rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka. In that attack, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and some top leaders narrowly survived, but 24 people were killed and more than 400 activists were injured.
After the military-backed caretaker government took power in 2007, a re-investigation into the attacks began. After the Awami League government came to power, further investigations were conducted.
After that, Tariq Rahman and other 30 people were accused in the supplementary charge sheet. There were 52 accused in this case. Later in this case 19 people were sentenced to death and 19 people were sentenced to life imprisonment by the judicial court. Tariq Rahman, the top leader of BNP, was sentenced to life imprisonment in this case.
Zia Orphanage Trust Corruption Case : In 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case during the army-backed caretaker government. In this case, it was alleged that more than 2 crore 10 lakh rupees received from abroad for orphans was not used for the purpose of the trust. Rather, that money has been embezzled by keeping it as their own. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years imprisonment by the judicial court in this case. At the same time Tariq Rahman and other five accused were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
Imprisonment in undeclared assets case : The ACC filed the case against Tariq Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman and Zubaida Rahman’s mother Syeda Iqbal Banu during the army-backed caretaker government in 2007.
It was alleged that Tariq and his wife had illegal assets of more than Tk 4.80 million beyond the declared income. A Dhaka court sentenced Tarek to nine years and his wife Zubaida Rahman to three years in this case on August 2 last year.
Money Laundering Case : On November 17, 2013, a court in Dhaka acquitted Tariq Rahman in a money laundering case in Singapore. Tarek’s friend and businessman Ghiyas Uddin Al Mamun was sentenced to seven years in prison in that case.
Punishment in defamation case : In 2014, in a rally in London, it was alleged that Tariq Rahman made many derogatory insults by referring to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as Razakar and Pak friend. Freedom fighter Shahjahan Biswas filed a defamation case against him when Narail brought these allegations. In that case, on February 4, 2021, the court of Narail sentenced Tariq Rahman to two years in prison. At least 10 defamation cases are pending in Dhaka court alone.
Sedition case : There is also a sedition case against Tariq Rahman. On January 8, 2015, a sedition case filed at Tejgaon police station accused him and Ekushey Television chairman Abdus Salam of conspiring to spread false, misleading information and threaten the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. There is also an arrest warrant against him in this case. Besides, there is another case of sedition in Noakhali. Digital Security Act cases are also pending against him in various districts including Dhaka.