Hasina hearing resumes

Dhaka, Dec 30 (bdprem.com) -- A Dhaka court dealing with charges of extortion against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina resumed hearing of the extortion case filed by Azam J Chowdhury Monday morning. DIG (prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique told bdnews24.com that Hasina was taken to court at 9 am. Metropolitan sessions judge Md Azizul Haque had set today's date after a hearing on Dec 26, aimed at framing charges against the former premier. Hasina's lawyer Syed Rezaur Rahman told bdnews24.com Sunday: "We will take part in the hearing tomorrow (Monday) after viewing the files the government thinks of to place as evidence." Prioir to the Eid holiday, the judge had set Dec 26 for the hearing to resume in the case that also involves Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana and their cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim. The charges involve the alleged extortion of about Tk 3 crore from businessman Azam J Chowdhury when Hasina was in office during 1996-2001. Chowdhury filed the case on June 13, alleging that he had paid the money to the accused as they threatened to cancel a power plant project. Hasina, Selim and the Awami League have denied the charges, saying the case is aimed at preventing Hasina from contesting the next polls. Rehana, who lives in London, expressed her surprise on learning of the case and said the charges were false. The High Court on Dec 9 had halted the proceedings of the case for three months and stayed the relocation of the courtroom to the Sangsad Bhaban premises after Hasina's lawyers moved a writ petition. But the Supreme Court on Dec 13 overruled the HC order after the state sought intervention to go ahead with the hearing. Acting law secretary on Nov 26 enacted a gazette for relocating the courtroom to the Sangsad Bhaban area from Johnson Road on security grounds. But Hasina's lawyers had earlier argued that the government could not do so through such an order following the separation of the judiciary from the executive at the start of November. The trial started Dec 3 at the special courtroom on the Sangsad Bhaban premises. Security officials arrested Hasina on July 16 at her husband's Sudha Sadan home in Dhanmondi. Hours after the arrest, she was sent to the jail, pending trial.