Bangladesh News

The Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to hear today the government’s petition seeking permission to appeal the High Court’s (HC) landmark judgment that quashed the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina.

Sources at the Attorney General’s Office yesterday afternoon told The Daily Star that they would file a regular application for leave to appeal before start of the hearing.

In its February 6 judgment, the HC bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Shahidul Islam also declared illegal the government’s having the case under emergency power rules.

Within an hour of delivery of the HC verdict, the government filed a provisional leave petition with the SC seeking a stay. After a hearing on February 12, the apex court asked the government to file a regular application by February 19.

Businessman Azam J Chowdhury filed the case last year against the now detained former prime minister and her cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim.

Meanwhile, hearing on charge framing in the Tk 3 crore graft case against Hasina and seven others is scheduled to be held today at 2:30pm in a special court set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises.

Firoz Alam, judge of Special Court-1, on February 13 deferred the hearing as the detained AL chief failed to appear before the court due to illness.

He is expected to rule tomorrow on Wednesday’s petition seeking bail for Hasina in the case filed for alleged graft in awarding work to set up a barge-mount power plant.