The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) will hear tomorrow the leave to appeal against the high court order staying proceedings of the extortion case against former prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, filed by Azam J Chowdhury.

As the prosecution referred the matter, the chamber judge of the supreme court Justice M Hasan Amin sent the appeal to the full court of the Appellate Division for hearing today.

On June 13 this year, Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of East Coast Trading Private limited, filed an extortion case with the city's Gulshan police station against Sheikh Hasina and her cousin former Heath Minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim.

In the complaint, Azam accused Hasian and Selim of extorting Taka 2,99,65,000 from him. After investigation, officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station, Obaidul Haq submitted chargesheet against Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Sheikh Rehana on July 24 last. Police implicated Sheikh Rehana in the case as per confessional statement of Sheik Selim recorded under the section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The high court (HC) on Sunday stayed for three months the proceedings of the extortion case pending with a special tribunal set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex.

Sheikh Hasina was arrested from her Dhanmondi Shudha Sadan residence on July 16 and Sheikh Selim was arrested on May 21 in connection with the extortion case.

Barrister Rafiq-ul Haque and Barrister Shafiq Ahmed appeared for the defendants while Additional Attorney General Salauddin Ahmed stood for the state.