Bangladesh-UK

Photo: PID

Had no discussion with British High Commissioner on Tarique's sentence: Law Minister

The British High Commissioner paid a courtesy visit to the Law Minister at his office in the Secretariat of the Law Ministry on Thursday. After the meeting, the Law Minister briefed the journalists.

Sarah Cook replaced UK High Commissioner Robert Dickson in Dhaka three months ago. From 2012 to 2016, Cook was the head of the Bangladesh office of the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID).

The Law Minister said, "This is Sarah Cook's first meeting with me after she joined Bangladesh as British Ambassador. I knew her when she was head of DFID here. This is her routine meeting. After taking charge as High Commissioner, she has been meeting with almost everyone, she has met me as a result of this."

He said, "We talked about the development of Bangladesh with its previous area (DFID). She herself is very happy to return to Bangladesh. She said it herself. She said that she will focus on the development of Bangladesh."

Earlier on Wednesday, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md. Asaduzzaman sentenced BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to nine years and his wife Zobaida Rahman to three years in the case filed by the ACC during the One-Eleven government on charges of owning assets beyond the declared income. Apart from imprisonment, Tarique was fined Tk 3 crore and Zobaida Tk 35 lakh. At the same time, the judge ordered the confiscation of Tk 2 crore 75 lakh as undisclosed assets in favour of the state.

The court has sentenced Tarique Rahman in five cases. Tarique Rahman has been staying in the UK with his family for the past 15 years.

British High Commission's Governance Adviser Rafiquzzaman, British High Commission's Second Secretary (Political) Vanessa Beaumont were present during the meeting.