BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman. File photo

The High Court on Wednesday extended bail for BNP leader Tarique Rahman for next three months in two cases of extortion and tax evasion.

A vacation bench of Justice M Muazzam Hossain and Justice Md Jahangir Hossain extended the bail after hearing two separate petitions seeking extension of previous HC orders of bail.

Tarique, senior vice-chairman of the main opposition BNP and son of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, is now in London for treatment, his counsel barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star.

The BNP leader is accused in 15 criminal cases and now on bail in 12 cases, he said, adding that Tarique has recently filed the petitions with the HC through his lawyers seeking extension of the order of his bail.

Tarique was freed from jail on bail in 2008 and went to London for treatment the same year.

The HC extended his bail in an extortion case and a tax evasion case, which were filed during the last caretaker government.

On March 27, 2007, businessmen Aftabuddin filed a case with Gulshan Police Station against Tarique and several others on charges of extorting Tk 80 lakh from him.

The National Board of Revenue on August 4, 2008, had lodged the case with the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka for evading tax of Tk 26.86 lakh between 2002 and 2006.

The HC on August 27, 2008, had granted bail to Tarique for six months in the cases. Later, the court extended its bail order at different times.