Not happy at Coco's conviction: Ashraf

Dhaka, June 24 (bdnews24.com)?There is nothing to be happy about the conviction of Khaleda Zia's youngest son in a money-laundering case, the Awami League spokesman says.

"We, who do politics and enjoy dignity in society, aren't happy at his conviction. It's completely a failure of the politicians that they we can't raise our children as good citizens," general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said on Friday.

He was addressing a press conference at Awami League president Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office.

"Thursday's verdict proves how Khaleda has reared up her two sons [Coco and Tarique Rahman]," said Ashraf, also the LGRD and cooperatives minister.

"Ziaur Rahman was a former president while his wife Khaleda an ex-prime minister. Their son has been convicted by the court. This not a good news for anybody, neither for Khaleda Zia nor the Zia family," he added.

Coco and his business associate Ismail Hossain Saimon on Thursday were sentenced in absentia each to six years in jail for funnelling out to Singapore Tk 208.5 million when Khaleda had ruled the country. He was also fined Tk 190.41 million.

It is the first of five criminal cases against Coco, who was arrested during the past caretaker government, well before the money laundering case was filed against him. Later, paroled on health ground, he went to Bangkok for treatment. Parole over, Coco did not return home to face the criminal cases.

Following the verdict, acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the verdict was politically pre-planned and motivated as the government wanted to disgrace the family of party founder Ziaur Rahman

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