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HC vacates stay on extortion case against Hasina

Staff Correspondent
The High Court (HC) yesterday vacated its stay order on proceedings of the Tk 3 crore extortion case filed against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by businessman Azam J Chowdhury.
An HC bench comprised of Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Md Mamtazuddin Ahmed gave the ruling upon a prayer by Hasina's counsel barrister Rafique-UI Huq.
Earlier on September 16 last year, the court stayed
SEE PAGE 15 COL 7 FROM PAGE 1 proceedings of the case and also granted bail to Hasina following a petition filed by her.
The public prosecutor (PP) will now pray to the trial court for withdrawal of the case.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu has recommended that 11 other cases against the prime minister be withdrawn as, he mentioned, those were filed to "tarnish the image of the Awami League chief and her previous government".
The cases include those filed by the last BNP-led government for alleged graft in the purchase of MiG-29s for the air force and Frigate for the navy, and in the construction of Bangabandhu Planetarium (now Bhashani Novo Theatre) and for 'illegal entry' in Dhaka cantonment area to visit the now deceased writer Humayun Azad at the CMH.
Yesterday morning, Rafiquc-Ul Huq prayed to the HC to vacate its stay order so that the trial court can withdraw the case considering it as a politically motivated one.
He told newsmen later that the government has decided to withdraw politically motivated cases, but the PP concerned recently informed the authorities that the trial court cannot let this (extortion) case be withdrawn as the HC stayed its proceedings.
AFM Mesbahuddin, another counsel for Hasina, told The Daily Star that they will also take legal steps soon for withdrawal of other cases
against her, including Niko and barge mounted power plant corruption cases, since all those were "false, fabricated and politically motivated".
In January this year, the government decided to withdraw the extortion case against Hasina following Azam J Chowdhury's application to the home ministry for dropping charges against her.
Earlier, he had given a statement before the trial court to the effect that he did not bring any allegation against the AL chief while filing the case.
The home ministry then asked the district magistrate to take initiative for withdrawal of the case.
Metropolitan PP Ehsanul Haq Samaji informed the district magistrate that the HC had stayed proceedings of the case following a petition from Hasina. So, necessary steps will be taken after its disposal.
Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Pvt Ltd, had filed the case against Hasina and her cousin Sheikh Selim with Gulshan Police Station on June 13, 2007, on charge of extorting Tk 2.99 crore from him in exchange for awarding a contract to set up a power plant at Siddhirganj.
On June 15 the same year, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court sent the case to the Special Court-5 for quick disposal.
Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana, who lives in London, was included in the charge sheet and shown absconding.