Verdict acquitting Tarique in four extortion cases upheld

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld a High Court ruling that acquitted BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman in four extortion cases. 

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by senior Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, issued the order, rejecting the state’s leave-to-appeal petition. 

Additional Attorney General Barrister Anik represented the state in the proceedings. Previously, on October 23, a High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain had dismissed the four extortion cases against Tarique Rahman.

The state subsequently filed a leave-to-appeal petition challenging the High Court’s decision. 

The cases were initially lodged during the state-backed caretaker government in 2007. That year, several individuals filed extortion cases against Tarique Rahman at the Gulshan, Kafrul, Shahbagh, and Dhanmondi police stations.