Trial deferred to Sept 1
A special court yesterday deferred the trial proceedings in the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her cousin former health minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim to September 1.
Judge M Ashraf Hossain of Special Court-5 fixed the date for cross-examination of the plaintiff following a time petition.
The prosecution lawyers filed the petition saying that the plaintiff, Azam J Chowdhury, could not appear in the court due to his business-related work.
On August 18, the counsels for Hasina cross-examined the plaintiff.
Sheikh Selim was brought to the court amid tight security yesterday.
Advocate Sahara Khatun stood for Hasina who had earlier been exempted from appearing at the court in person during the proceedings.
Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Pvt Ltd, filed the case with Gulshan Police Station against Hasina and Selim on June 13 last year on charges of extorting Tk 2.99 crore from him in exchange for awarding a contract for setting up the Siddhirganj Power Plant in Narayanganj.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on June 15 this year 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.
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