Frigate case against Hasina quashed

The High Court (HC) yesterday in a verdict quashed all proceedings against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the frigate purchase corruption case filed during the last BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
An HC bench of Justice Md Shamsul Huda and Justice Abu Bakar Siddiquee issued the verdict upon a petition by Hasina for quashing the proceedings against her in the case.
The court observed that there was no offence in the case against Hasina and declared the proceedings illegal.
Earlier in March and April this year, the HC quashed proceedings of seven other cases against the prime minister following her separate petitions.
Hasina's counsel barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh yesterday told reporters that another case regarding the appointment of consultants in Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority against Hasina is pending.
A petition was also filed with the HC challenging the proceedings of that case, Taposh said.
The now defunct Bureau of Anti Corruption (Bac) filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on August 7, 2002 against Sheikh Hasina on a charge of damaging around Tk 747 crore of the state exchequer in the purchase of the frigate.
The case was later shifted to Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) for its dealing.
Advocate Syed Mizanur Rahman argued for ACC.