By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh’s high court Wednesday quashed a corruption trial against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina who was alleged to have received a bribe of 30 million takas ($500,000) from a businessman.
The court also declared as illegal the government’s move to try her under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) that deny bail to the Awami League chief, who has three other charges – two of corruption and one of murder – pending against her.
The government said it planned to appeal the verdict before the apex court, Star Online said.
Hasina has been in jail since July 16 last year and has been unwell. She collapsed in the courtroom last month and her lawyers have complained of lack of proper medical treatment.
The high court division bench, comprising Justices Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Shahidul Islam, also ruled in favour of Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, who is in Britain, and their cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency said.
The court heard opinions from a six-member panel of amicus curae (friends of the court) on the critical matter.
The panel comprising senior lawyers was of the unanimous view that the trial of an offence, which had been committed before the promulgation of the Emergency Powers Ordinance 2007, cannot be held under the ambit of the EPR.
Lawyers and journalists thronged the high court to listen to the judgment.
The case took an interesting turn when complainant Azam J. Chowdhury went on record to say that he never accused Hasina, whom he respected. He said his complaint was against Fazlul Karim Selim, who was health minister in Hasina’s government (1996-2001), and that Hasina and her sister Rehana’s names were added by investigators.
The entire Sheikh family has denied the charge, calling it “politically motivated” and aimed at keeping them out of political activity. The elections likely to take place later this year.