The government on Sunday suspended the punishment of Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, renowned journalist Shafik Rehman and Mizanur Rahman alias MR Bhuiyan alias Milton Bhuiyan for one year in two separate cases.
The Security Services Division (SSD) of the Home Ministry issued separate notifications in this regard.
The SSD notification stated that the government suspended the punishments on condition that they would appeal against the verdicts in the cases after surrendering to the courts.
According to the SSD notification, in 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman and mother in law Syeda Iqbal Arzumand Banu on the charge of earning illegal assets worth Tk2.75 crore out of their declared assets worth Tk 4.82 crore.
In August 2, 2023, Dhaka Special Judges Court of Md Asadauzzaman pronounced judgment in the case sentencing 9 years' jail for Tarique Rahman and 3 years for Zubaida Rahman.
Besides, journalist Shafik Rehman and businessman Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan conviction in a case of attempted abduction and murder of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, have been suspended for one year.
However, they will have to appeal against the verdict within one year.
In the same case, a Dhaka court has ordered to send former Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman to jail.
As per a notification of the Security Services Division signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Abu Sayed Molla, their case was suspended under Section 401(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The notification added that the case was suspended on the condition that they surrender to the court and file appeal.
Mahmudur appeared in the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbubul Haque on Sunday and applied for bail.
Mahmudur's lawyers said the court has no jurisdiction to grant bail to an accused who has been sentenced to one year in a case. The court could not grant Mahmudur bail as he was sentenced to seven years in prison, reports Manab Zamin.
On August 17, 2023, Journalist Shafik Rehman, Mahmudur Rahman, along with three other people, were sentenced to seven years in prison in a case of "conspiracy to kidnap and murder" Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son and ICT affair adviser of fallen prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
