Bangladesh's largest opposition party leader, spouse sentenced in absentia for graft

DHAKA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has been sentenced to nine years' imprisonment in absentia, and his wife Zubaida Rahman has been handed a three-year jail sentence in a graft case.

The exiled largest opposition party leader has also been fined 30 million taka (273,000 U.S. dollars), in default of which he will have to serve three more months in jail.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Asaduzzaman delivered the verdict in the case on Wednesday in their absence.

The court fined Rahman's wife Zubaida 3.5 million taka. If she fails to pay the money, she will have to serve one more month in prison.

The court also ordered authorities to seize 27.4 million taka in assets as the unaccounted property of Rahman and his wife who have been living in London since 2008.

Security was heightened as pro-BNP lawyers staged demonstrations on the court premises against the trial of the case.

Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case in 2007, accusing the couple of owning 48.15 million taka beyond their means and concealing information on their assets.

Rahman was arrested and secured bail in 2008. He became the acting chairman of the party after his mother, three-time ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was jailed in 2018.

Political analysts said the key challenge for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party leadership would be keeping the ruling party in power in the next general elections slated for early 2024.

The political crisis in Bangladesh has intensified in recent weeks as BNP strengthened its movement demanding Hasina's resignation and parliament polls under a non-party government. (1 U.S. dollar equals 109 taka)