A court Wednesday sent BNP senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman on a day’s remand, cutting down police requisition for seven days for interrogating him on an extortion charge, reports UNB.

“Please, don’t give me on remand. Let me live…I want to live,” cried out the once powerful rising leader of the immediate-past ruling party, making a fervent appeal to the judge, as crowds of media crew, police, lawyers and his supporters scrambled outside the court in Old Dhaka.

During the remand hearing, Tarique Rahman, detained ex-PM Khaleda Zia’ s eldest son, was given a chair to sit in the dock as he felt sick and couldn’t keep standing.

As the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case sought him on seven days’ remand, Tarique alleged that he was subjected to “physical and mental torture” during repeated remands.

“I was taken into undisclosed place blindfolded all the time. Now I have severe pain in my waist and I can’t sit,” he said.

His claim couldn’t be checked with the authorities concerned immediately.

The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ehsanul Haque eventually granted police one day for grilling him in the extortion case filed by the owner of a construction company while a purge against serious crime and corruption is underway in the interim period.

Lawyers said that the IO prayed for his seven-day remand on November 15 and hearing was completed upon the prayer. The Judge rejected the remand prayer and asked the investigating police official to interrogate him at the jail gate.

After about two months, the IO of the case again sought his seven-day remand on January 7.

Tarique’s counsel alleged that he was “tortured in the name of remand” and also prayed to the judge to give order to interrogate him at the jail gate instead of granting remand anymore.

During the hearing, the lawyers argued that Tarique Rahman’s name was not in the FIR of the case.

The much-talked-about businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun, his friend, is to blame for allegedly taking money from the real-estate firm, they told the court.

“Tariqur Rahman is victim of conspiracy and was arrested only to keep him aloof from politics,” said the panel of lawyers.

It was alleged that Giasuddin Al-Mamun demanded Tk 1.32 crore from the company—Reza Construction Firm—as it clinched construction-work order for two roads in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj on June 23, 2005.

Allegations also have it that he also threatened that the tender would be cancelled if its owner Aftabuddin refused to give the speed money. “Later, Aftabuddin paid the money by cheque,” it is stated in the graft case.

A chaotic situation was created in the court as police pushed a photojournalist of Channel-I from the stairs of the court when he went to take photo shot of Tarique.

“As he protested, all the police gathered there and attempted to beat the journalist. But the situation became normal with the interference of by lawyers,” says a spot account of the unpleasant incident.

@ The Bangladesh Journal