Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina files two more writ petitions

Detained former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has filed two more writ petitions with the Dhaka High Court, challenging the governments move to try her in connection with a Taka five crore extortion case under the Emergency Powers Rules, and to submit her wealth status.

Dhaka, Aug.6 : Detained former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has filed two more writ petitions with the Dhaka High Court, challenging the government's move to try her in connection with a Taka five crore 'extortion' case under the Emergency Powers Rules, and to submit her wealth status.

The writ petitions were filed on Sunday afternoon after Hasina's counsels obtained permission from Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury to do so.

The petitions were filed in response to the July 30 case filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury, in which the High Court granted Hasina bail, and ruled that the government should explain within a fortnight why the emergency rules applied in the case sould not be declared illegal.

In the first writ petition, Hasina challenged the government's move for trial of an 'extortion' case against her under emergency rules.

Businessman Noor Ali had filed the case on June 13 against Hasina, her cousin Sheikh Helal and his wife Rupa Chowdhury alleging that he was forced to pay Taka five crore to the Awami League chief to get a party nomination to contest the parliamentary election in 2001.

In the second petition, Hasina challenged the legality of the notice sent to her by the Anti-Corruption Commission on July 17 to submit her wealth statement. The petition challenged the authority of the deputy director of the ACC in issuing the notice to a former prime minister.

The ACC Act empowers the commission itself to notify anyone asking for wealth report, and it cannot delegate such power to any of its officials, the power is not subject to delegation, the petition said.

The petition also mentioned that the joint forces had seized a number of documents from Hasina's residence at the time of her arrest and that she required the documents before submitting her wealth statements.

ANI