By KUNA,
New Delhi : Bangladesh’s Supreme Court (SC) Thursday permitted trial of former prime minister Sheikha Hasina, thereby upholding the army-backed caretaker government’s right to try leaders under the current emergency rules in the country.
A seven-judge bench of SC, headed by Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin, today accepted the government’s appeal against a high court verdict (Feb. 2008) that had disallowed Hasina’s trial in an extortion case filed by Bangladeshi businessman Azam J Chowdhury, news agency Indo Asian News Service reported from capital Dhaka. This order also cleared the way for trials of detained politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen under the emergency rules, for acts committed prior to promulgation of such rules. Emergency was declared after the interim government took charge on January 11, 2007. All political activities have been suspended thereafter and the government has arrested several top political leaders including two former PMs under a massive anti-corruption drive. Azam J Chowdhury has alleged that he paid 500,000 usd to get a project passed during Hasina’s rule from 1996-2001. But he said he had not cited Hasina as a respondent in the case. Her name was added to his petition by the government, the news agency said. The Supreme Court ruling came a day after the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission charged Hasina, one of her cabinet colleagues, three bureaucrats and four others for signing a contract with Canadian oil company Niko Resources Ltd in return for kickbacks during her tenure as PM.
This is the third charge-sheet against Hasina, who is also chief of the Awami League, Bangladesh’s largest political party.
Two of the five cases filed so far against her by the caretaker government, are still under investigation.
She has said that all charges against her are false and fabricated. Awami League top leadership has threatened to boycott the Parliamentary elections scheduled this December unless the former PM is released. Hasina who was arrested last July, has been unwell and wants to visit the US for treatment. However, the government is yet to decide on her bail and allow her to visit the US.