Zia’s ‘ fugitive’ son chosen new BNP chief

◗

Dhaka, Feb. 9: Bangladesh’s main Opposition party, the BNP, has named the ‘ fugitive’ and convicted eldest son of Khaleda Zia as its acting chief, a day after the former Prime Minister was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment in a graft case.

The 72- year- old threetime former Prime Minister was sentenced on Thursday by the Dhaka’s Special Court in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka ( about $ 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler- turned- politician.

The verdict simultaneously sentenced Ms Zia’s “fugitive” eldest son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP’s) senior vice- president Tarique Rahman as he was tried in absentia.

Mr Rahman, 53, and four others have also been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

“Tarique Rahman is now the acting chairman of BNP,” senior secretary general of the party Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.

Senior BNP leader

Tarique Rehman fled to London in 2008 after he was detained by an Armybacked government for more than 18 months

Nazrul Islam Khan later told PTI that the decision was taken in line with the party’s constitution and Mr Rahman would lead the party from exile as he is now in London.

Mr Rehman fled to London in 2008 after he was detained by an Army- backed government for more than 18 months.

In 2016, he was convicted in absentia and sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of money laundering.

“There is no problem for him to be the party chief,” Mr Khan said when asked as a fugitive convict if he was qualified to run the party from abroad.