BNP leader Aman, his wife acquitted in graft case

The Appellate Division on Wednesday acquitted BNP leader Amanullah Aman and his wife Sabera Aman in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over two decades ago.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Acting Chief Justice Ashfaqul Islam, passed the order, cancelling the 13-year and 3-year prison sentences handed down to Aman and Sabera, respectively.

Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon represented the couple in the court, while lawyer Asif Hasan appeared for the ACC during the hearing.

Speaking to the media, Barrister Khokon said the apex court overturned the High Court's earlier verdict and cleared the couple of all charges.

With this ruling, there is no legal bar for Amanullah Aman to contest future elections, he added.

The ACC had filed the case with Kafrul Police Station on March 6, 2007, accusing the couple of concealing wealth information and amassing assets beyond their known sources of income.

On June 21 that year, a special court in Dhaka sentenced Aman to 13 years in prison and Sabera to three years. The couple later challenged the verdict in the High Court, which acquitted them on August 16, 2010.

The ACC, however, appealed the acquittal.

On May 26, 2014, the Appellate Division scrapped the HC’s verdict and ordered a rehearing.

Following the rehearing, the High Court on May 30, 2023, upheld the initial convictions. The couple then appealed to the Appellate Division once more, which led to today’s final acquittal, reports UNB.