Hasina files bail petition in extortion case
A bail petition for Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in an extortion case was filed with the High Court (HC) yesterday.
The former premier is now abroad on parole for treatment.
Hasina's counsel Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh submitted the petition to a vacation bench of the HC comprised of Justice Sheikh Rezowan Ali and Justice Md Rais Uddin.
The HC bench will hear the petition today, the counsel told newsmen later.
The extortion case was filed by businessman Noor Ali.
The AL chief's counsel also said they will file two more petitions with the HC today for her bail in Niko and barge-mounted power plant corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Noor Ali, managing director of Unique Group of Companies, filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on June 13, 2007 accusing Hasina and her two relatives of extorting Tk 5 crore for mediating between Power Development Board (PDB) and his firm for a power plant deal back in 1997.
The government on July 16 last year put the case under the emergency power rules (EPR), and a magistrate's court on July 29 the same year ordered that Hasina be shown arrested in the case.
Following a writ petition on August 7 last year, the HC granted bail to Hasina in this case, and asked the government to explain why bringing the case under the EPR should not be declared illegal.
Later, the Supreme Court upon a petition filed by the government stayed the HC order till disposal of the rule.
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