Staff Correspondent

Two Dhaka courts on Tuesday sent Shahrin Islam Chowdhury Tuhin, nephew of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, after he surrendered before the courts in two cases.In the tax evasion case, he appeared before the court of Judge Kabir Uddin Pramanik of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 and submitted a bail petition through his lawyer Syed Zainul Abedin Mezbah.Later in the day, he surrendered before Judge Pradip Kumar Roy of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-7 in connection with a case filed over amassing wealth and again sought bail.Both courts rejected his bail petitions and sent him jail.

Tuhin had been absconding since the filing of the cases and surrendered 17 years after the verdicts were delivered.His lawyers sought division facilities in jail and medical treatment saying that Tuhin has heart disease and other complex health issues.

They also requested that he be sent to jail by ambulance at his own expense.The court ordered the prison authorities to ensure division and necessary treatment for him as per the jail code.

According to case documents, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the two cases against Tuhin with Gulshan Police Station in 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government.In the tax evasion case, he was sentenced eight years of rigorous imprisonment—three years under one section and five years under another in 2008. However, the court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning he would serve a maximum of five years.In the graft case, he was sentenced to 13 years of rigorous imprisonment—three years under one section and 10 years under another in the same year.

Tuhin had remained a fugitive throughout the trial and conviction in both cases.