Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday alleged that the revoking of acquittal of its senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman in a money-laundering case is aimed at destroying the Zia family and weakening the nationalist forces.

‘The lower court had acquitted Tarique Rahman in the case as there was no evidence regarding Tarique Rahman’s involvement in money laundering, but the government appealed against the verdict by its subservient Anti Corruption Commission to have its desire and political vengeance fulfilled,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

‘We think it’s (Tarique’s acquittal scarping) part of a government blueprint to destroy the Zia family and the nationalist forces,’ he further said.

The BNP leader came up with the allegation at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.

Earlier in the day, the High Court sentenced BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman to seven years’ jail and fined him Tk 20 crore scrapping his acquittal in the money-laundering case.

On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique while sentenced his friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamuno to seven years along with a fine of Tk 40 crore in the ACC case for illegally sending Tk20.41 crore to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.

Rizvi said their senior vice chairman was punished to create a new issue to divert people’s attention to a different direction from the government’s failure and militancy.

He said the 1/11 regime had filed the money laundering case against Tarique illegally as part of a conspiracy.

The BNP leader alleged that the High Court did not take into cognizance the documents and evidence on which Tarique had been acquitted by the trial court. ‘The judicial norms have not been applied here.’

Rizvi said they expect justice from the apex court in the case against Tarique. ‘We hope the Supreme Court will widen the scope for having justice. People’s confidence in the judiciary will increase if they get justice from court which is their last resort.’

He also protested the arrest of their party leaders and activists from Nayapaltan area following the verdict, and demanded that they be released immediately.