Hearing on graft cases against Hasina likely today

Hearings of the High Court (HC) rules on the proceedings of Niko and barge-mounted power plant corruption cases against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others are likely to be held today.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the cases during the tenure of the immediate past caretaker government.
ACC's counsel advocate Khurshid Alam Khan and Hasina's counsel advocate AFM Mesbahuddin yesterday afternoon told The Daily Star hearings on the rules are due to be held today but they had not received any instruction from their clients.
On January 7, a HC bench of Justice Sheikh Rezowan Ali and Justice Md Rais Uddin extended the time of its earlier orders for not harassing or arresting Hasina in the cases and fixed February 15 for the hearings.
Upon separate quashment petitions, the HC on July 7 last year stayed all proceedings of the corruption cases and issued the rules asking the government and the ACC to explain why the cases should not be quashed.
The Niko scam case had been awaiting charge hearing and the barge-mounted power plant case was in the phase of cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses by the defence before July 7 last year.
Five cases were filed against Hasina during the tenure of the immediate past caretaker government.
Of those, three extortion cases were filed by businessmen- Azam J Chowdhury, Noor Ali and Tajul Islam Faruk and the rest two were Niko and Barge Mounted Power Plant corruption cases.
The caretaker government decided to withdraw the Tk 3 crore extortion case filed by Azam J Chowdhury following his application to the home ministry for dropping charges against Hasina.
The HC, earlier, granted bail to Hasina in the case and stayed the case proceedings.
The police have already submitted final reports to the court exonerating Hasina from the charges filed by Noor Ali and Tajul Islam Faruk.