Bangladesh News

The Appellate Division yesterday fixed Sunday for hearing on the government appeal against the landmark High Court verdict that quashed an extortion case against former premier Sheikh Hasina and declared illegal bringing it under Emergency Power Rules.

Though the chamber judge of the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday referred the government appeal filed a couple of hours into the HC verdict for hearing in the full bench, it was not on yesterday’s SC cause list.

The six-member Appellate Division bench headed by acting chief Justice M Fazlul Karim deferred the date after Hasina’s counsels prayed for adjourning the hearing for one day.

But the matter was brought for hearing yesterday in the Appellate Division by preparing a supplementary list.

Advocate on record of Hasina’s writ petition Moulvi Wahidullah told the court he could not inform Hasina’s senior counsel Barrister Rafique-ul Huq to take part in the hearing for lack of time.

On this ground he prayed for time and the court fixed Sunday for hearing the government appeal.

The HC division bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Shahidul Islam on Wednesday declared illegal the government approval of bringing the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against Hasina under EPR and scrapped it.

The verdict came following Hasina’s writ filed on July 29 last year. The HC bench of Justice Nayeem and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury had issued a rule on the government, asking it to reply why its approval for bringing the case under EPR should not be declared illegal.