ACC sues Tarique’s mother-in-law

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday filed a case against Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, mother-in-law of BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, on graft charges.   ACC deputy director RK Majumder filed the case with city’s Ramna Police Station in the evening, ACC public relations officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told journalists. On Tuesday, the Commission approved the filing of the case against Banu since she did not submit her wealth statement to it within the deadline.   A day after the graft watchdog gave approval to file a graft case against her, Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, however, sent an application through her lawyer urging the ACC to issue a fresh notice for submission of her wealth statement.   Two years ago, on January 25, 2012, the national anti-graft body served a notice asking Banu to submit her wealth statement to it.   But the High Court stayed the operation of the ACC notice responding to a writ petition filed by Banu challenging its validity.   Later, upon an ACC petition seeking an opportunity for leave-to-appeal, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court overrode the High Court stay order in September last year.   Meanwhile, the ACC received the wealth statement submitted by Tarique Rahman, also the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, after it had served notice upon him in this regard.   After examining his wealth statement, the ACC found that Tarique had accumulated wealth over Tk 81 crore illegally.   On September 26, 2007, the ACC filed a case against Tarique, his wife Dr Jobaida Rahman and mother-in-law Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu. – UNB