By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has declined to revoke the stay granted by the high court on the trial of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a graft case and has referred the case to a full-bench for hearing Thursday.
Last week, the government had moved the petition seeking permission to appeal against the Jan 17 high court orders in the case in which Hasina, her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and cousin Sheikh Selim are accused of extorting around $500,000 (30 million taka) from a businessman.
The high court order had come two hours after the Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge’s court set up at the parliament building complex adjourned for three days after the commencement of the trial with the deposition by the complainant of the case, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency reported.
The complaint has been filed by Azam J. Chowdhury, managing director of East Coast Trading Pvt Ltd, a private power company, The Daily Star newspaper said Tuesday.
Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh during 1996-2001 and heads the Awami League – the country’s largest political party – has two other graft cases and a murder charge pending against her.
The former prime minister has been in jail since July 2007.