Hasina wins court battles

BREAKING NEWS
Hasina wins court battles, for now

Dhaka, August 7 (bdnews24.com) – Sheikh Hasina Tuesday won two legal battles in the High Court—at least for now.

The HC granted bail to the detained former prime minister in an extortion case, filed by long-time pro-Awami League businessman Noor Ali.

The same court stayed the Anticorruption Commission's notice, which was served on Hasina asking her to turn in a wealth statement.

But the latest bail order does not ensure freedom for the Awami League chief from jail as the Appellate Division had stayed an earlier HC order for bail in the first extortion case, filed by Azam Jahangir Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading.

Hasina Sunday challenged the government in the HC over its move to get trial of the Tk 5 crore extortion case against her under the emergency powers rules. She also sought bail in the same case.

Her lawyers filed a writ petition after securing permission from the bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury.

In another development, the High Court stayed the efficacy of the Anticorruption Commission's notice on her to submit the wealth statement.

For this, Hasina's counsels filed a second writ petition challenging the validity of the notice.

NOOR ALI CASE

Noor Ali filed the case alleging he was forced to pay Tk 5 crore to Hasina for permission to contest in a parliamentary election in 2001.

The businessman also implicated Hasina's cousin Sheikh Helaluddin and his wife Rupa Chowdhury in the same case filed on June 13.

A day after Hasina was arrested, the ACC served notice on Hasina on July 17, asking her to submit a wealth statement.

Hasina received the notice at the special jail on July 19 and sent a legal notice to the ACC on July 31 to know if a deputy director of the commission could serve notice on a former prime minister.

Sunday was the deadline for a reply to her legal notice. As the ACC did not respond to it in time, Hasina's lawyer filed the writ petition with the High Court challenging its legality.

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