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| Bangladesh |
| Trial opens for Khaleda's son |
| 2007-03-30 |
| The extortion trial of Tareque Rahman, a son of former Bangladeshi prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, opened on Thursday amid a nationwide crackdown on graft. Tareque, eldest son of the country’s last prime minister, was produced before quick-trial court judge Abdur Rouf Khan, who asked prosecutors for evidence to substantiate their charges. “After hearing lawyers from both sides, the judge set the next date for hearing on April 5, with a target to complete the trial by late May,” a court registrar said. Quick-trial courts are expected to complete trials within 60 days. Khaleda ended her five-year term as prime minister in October and handed power to an interim authority which is now headed by former central bank chief Fakhruddin Ahmed. Tareque was among more than 160 senior political figures to be arrested. Witnesses said police escorted a pale-looking Tareque, joint secretary-general of Khaleda’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and her heir-apparent, into the packed court. He has been charged with illegally taking 10 million taka ($145,000) in January from the owner of a construction firm. |
| Posted by:Fred |