Hearing on Hasina's petitions adjourned

The High Court (HC) yesterday deferred until tomorrow the hearing on the petitions filed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for quashing the proceedings of four corruption cases against her.
An HC bench of Justice Md Shamsul Huda and Justice Abu Bakar Siddiquee adjourned the hearing following a time prayer moved by Mehedi Hasan, a lawyer for the petitioner.
The bench was scheduled to hold the final hearing on the petitions yesterday.
The cases were filed against Hasina on charges of corruption in setting up of barge-mounted power plant and Meghnaghat power plant, in the appointment of consultants at Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and in procurement of frigates.
The barge-mounted power plant graft case was filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during the previous caretaker government, and three other cases were filed by the now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAC) during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government.
Upon petitions filed by Hasina, the HC earlier stayed the proceedings against Hasina in the cases and issued rules upon the government, BAC and ACC to explain why the proceedings of the cases should not be quashed.