Dhaka, Mar 06 (V7N) – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has acquitted BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun, overturning their previous convictions in a money laundering case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

A bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issued the ruling on Thursday (March 6), effectively clearing the two of all charges.

The ACC filed the case on October 26, 2009, at Cantonment Police Station in Dhaka, alleging that:

Giasuddin Al Mamun took Tk 204.125 crore from Khadija Islam, chairman of Nirman Construction Company Limited, to secure a contract for an 80-megawatt power plant in Tongi.

A portion of this money—Tk 37.8 million—was allegedly spent by Tarique Rahman using a credit card in Singapore.

In 2013, the Third Special Judge's Court of Dhaka acquitted Tarique Rahman but sentenced Giasuddin Al Mamun to seven years in prison.

However, after an appeal by the ACC, the High Court in 2016 sentenced Tarique Rahman to seven years in prison and imposed a Tk 20 crore fine, while upholding Mamun’s sentence.

Following an appeal by Giasuddin Al Mamun, the Appellate Division overturned the High Court’s verdict, leading to the acquittal of both accused.

The verdict was confirmed to the media by:

SM Shahjahan, lawyer for Giasuddin Al Mamun

Barrister Mohammad Zakir Hossain, lawyer for Tarique Rahman.

END/MSS/AJ