By IANS
Dhaka : A Bangladeshi court Thursday stayed the trial proceedings of the extortion case against detained former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and their cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim.
This marks a reprieve for an ailing Hasina, 62, who has been in jail since July 16. She has refused to go abroad for treatment despite advise from her doctors, the Star Online said.
The government, faced with a stay in cases pertaining to politicians, has preferred to appeal before the Supreme Court to get the stay vacated and resume the trial.
Also, at least two more corruption cases and a murder charge are pending against Hasina.
A division bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Shahidul Islam passed the order after a petition filed by Hasina, who is the president of Awami League (AL), Bangladesh’s oldest political party.
Barrister Rafique-ul Huq appeared for Hasina while Attorney General Fida M. Kamal stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission and the government, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency said.
In the case where they secured a stay, Hasina and her family members are accused of receiving Taka 29 million ($500,000) from a businessman.
While Hasina and Selim are in jail, Rehana, who lives in Britain, is being tried in absentia.
The cases are part of a drive against corruption being undertaken by the caretaker government that has been in office for the past one year.
Prominent among those being tried for corruption is another former prime minister Khaleda Zia and her two sons, Tareq and Arafat Rahman, all of whom are in jail.