BNP leader Rafiqul Islam Mia has moved the High Court (HC) challenging the trial court’s verdict that sentenced him to three years in prison in a case filed over his failure to submit wealth statement to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

His counsel Ragib Rouf Chowdhury filed an appeal with the HC seeking to stay the sentence along with bail plea on Monday (Nov 26). 

On Tuesday (Nov 20), Judge Sheikh Golam Mahbub of the Special Judge Court pronounced the verdict in Rafiqul Islam Mia’s absence.

The standing committee member of BNP was also fined Tk 50,000, in default of which he will have to serve three months more in jail.

According to the case dossiers, the then ACC served notice on Rafiqul Islam to submit his wealth information on Apr 7, 2004.

ACC official filed a case against Rafiqul on Sep 15, 2004, when he failed to submit the wealth information by the deadline. The official also submitted the charges to the court on Nov 30 that year.

The court ordered the start of the trial on Nov 14, 2017.