Govt appeals against Hasina's bail order
Full-bench hearing today
Staff Correspondent
The government yesterday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court (SC) challenging Monday's High Court (HC) order granting ad interim bail to detained former prime minister Shiekh Hasina in an extortion case and also directing the government not to hold trial of the case under the emergency power rules.Attorney General Fida M Kamal moved the appeal with the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the SC seeking stay on the HC order. After primary hearing, the Chamber Judge decided to send the matter for hearing by the full bench of the Appellate Division and set today for the hearing. The HC on Monday also issued a rule on the military-backed interim government to reply within two weeks why its approving the case to be under the emergency rules should not be declared illegal. Earlier on Sunday, the Awami League chief had filed a writ petition with the HC seeking bail and challenging the government move to have the extortion case against her tried under the emergency power rules. Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Pvt Ltd, lodged the case with Gulshan Police Station on June 13 this year. He accused Hasina and AL presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim of extorting from him Tk 2.99 crore in 2000 in connection with the contract for Siddhirganj power plant. The joint forces arrested Hasina on July 16 and the same day a magistrate's court sent her to a house designated as a sub-jail on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex. On July 24, Gulshan police indicted her together with her sister Sheikh Rehana and cousin Sheikh Selim. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station Obaidul Haque submitted the charge sheet under sections 385(extortion)/109 (abetment)/34 (criminal liability) of the penal code. He did not include in the charge sheet Section 19J (1) of the Emergency Power Rules, 2007 but the home ministry on July 16 notified that the emergency rules shall apply to the charges considering "public importance" of the case. The HC order on Monday stayed the government decision. Meanwhile, Awami League yesterday collected the power of attorney from Hasina to fight the second 'extortion' case against her and the government's appeal in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The jail authorities handed over four separate copies of Hasina's power of attorney to one of the staff of Sudha Sadan in the morning, said Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh, one of the lawyers of the AL chief.
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