The High Court on Tuesday asked Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman to surrender before the lower courts concerned within 30 days.
An HC bench comprising justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order.
The HC also asked the authorities concerned to soon start the trial of five cases, including two of tax-evasion ones, filed against Tarique Rahman, also the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Deputy attorney general Tapash Kumar said three extortion cases have been filed against Tarique Rahman with Shahbagh, Kafrul and Gulshan police stations in 2007 while two more tax-evasion cases with lower courts in 2007 and 2008 during the military-backed caretaker government.
Tarique filed separate petitions with the High Court challenging the legality of the five cases in 2007.
Following the writ petitions, the HC in 2007 and 2008 stayed the trial proceedings of the five cases and issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the five cases filed against Tarique should not be declared illegal and unlawful.
Source: Prothom Alo