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Hasina lawyer alleges agency pressure

Staff Correspondent
The counsel for former premier Sheikh Hasina has alleged intelligence agencies are putting pressure on her lawyers to quickly complete hearing of the graft cases against her.
Barrister Shafique Ahmed, one of Hasina's senior counsels, yesterday told Judge Mohammad Firoz Alam of the Special Court-1 different intelligence agencies have called some lawyers and inquired about several issues.
Mentioning one such issue, Shafique said the lawyers were asked why hearing of the cases was taking so long.
He told the court such interference is not desirable when rule of law exists. Barrister Shafique made this submission when charge-framing hearing against detained Awami League chief Hasina and seven others was scheduled yesterday.
But the hearing in connection with the barge-mounted power plant graft case has been deferred until April 24 due to her illness.
Only detained accused in the case former secretary Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury was produced before the court. He was arrested a few days ago on way to home after he was released on bail.
Referring to the incident of Tawfiq, Barrister Shafique said though the Appellate Division granted him bail in two cases, police arrested him making a false statement.
Shafique said the police accused Tawfiq of violating the Emergency Power Rules by making provocative statements on Panthapath after he was released.
The lawyer claimed Tawfiq never went to Panthapath. adding that this is high-handedness in a society of rule of law.
Judge Mohammad Firoz Alam, however, did not make any observation following submission of Hasina's counsel.
Earlier on April 19, Hasina was committed to Square Hospital for the second time while in detention.
On September 2 last year, AntiCorruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Sabhir Hasan filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station, accusing Hasina and six others of using their influence through mutual understanding in helping a foreign company and its local partners win a deal for setting up barge-mounted power plants in Haripur, Khulna and Shikalbaha, depriving the lowest bidder.
The other accused were former energy secretary Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Noor Uddin Mahmud Kamal, Managing Director of Summit Industries and Mercantile Corporation Private Ltd Aziz Khan, Director Farid Khan, United Group Chairman Hasan Mahmud Raja and Director Abul Kalam Azad.
ACC Deputy Director Morshed Alam submitted the charge sheet in the case on January 10 and included the name of Bangabandhu Memorial Trust (BMT) Curator Siddiqur Rahman.