Prayer for quashing graft case against Hasina stayed

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The High Court (HC) yesterday re-fixed the hearing of a petition for quashing the Meghnaghat power plant graft case against detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 2 following a time petition submitted by her counsel.

Hasina’s counsel Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud submitted the petition seeking two weeks’ time, as he needs to consult with his detained client before start of the hearing.

The court granted one week to Hasina’s counsel.

Following a sudden move by the attorney general office in May, the High Court decided to start hearing of the petition for quashing the case.

In December 2002, Hasina filed the petition with the HC for quashing the case and the court stayed all proceedings of the case in the lower court that had initiated the trial process earlier in October.

On December 11, 2001, Gulam Mostafa, a director of the now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption, filed the case with Ramna Police Station, accusing former state minister for power Prof Rafiqul Islam of misappropriating Tk 17.89 crore during the process of installing the Meghnaghat power plant. But in the charge sheet, Hasina and three others were made accused in the case.

EXTORTION CASE HEARING NOW ON AUG 16
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday re-fixed August 16 for next hearing on the acceptance of the charge sheet in an extortion case against Awami League (AL) Chief Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and their cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim.

The same court on Tuesday fixed August 15 for hearing on the issue.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Alam in a spontaneous move took up the case file and changed the date. But the reasons for he re-fixing the date could not be known.

Tuesday’s court order fixing August 15 for hearing on the charge sheet, triggered criticism as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujijbur Rahman along with most of his family members was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army personnel on the day in 1975.

Gulshan police pressed charges against Hasina and others in the extortion case.

Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Pvt Ltd, filed the case against Hasina and Sheikh Selim on June 13 for extorting Tk 2.99 crore from him for the work of Siddhirganj Power Plant in Narayanganj.

But Rehana’s name was included in the charge sheet as her involvement with the extortion was found during the investigation.

The joint forces arrested the AL chief in connection with the case on July 16 and then produced her in a magistrate court that sent her to a sub-jail.

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