The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The hearing of an application for stay on the operation of the High Court verdict that revived the Mig-29 purchase-scam case against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina and others will be held at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Wednesday.

Chamber Judge of the apex court Justice MA Matin, following an application moved by the counsel for Hasina, passed the order yesterday.

Barrister Shafique Ahmed, a top counsel for Hasina, told journalists that the application was moved as they preferred leave to appeal against the High Court judgment.

On September 6 last year, the High Court, upon a government petition, discharged Sheikh Hasina's petition for quashing the charge of shady deals on purchase of the fighter jets from Russia, vacating its order of stay given in 2003 on the trial-court proceedings in the case.

The HC discharged the quashing petitions on grounds that the alleged offences were disclosed in the FIR and the charge sheet.

Hasina, who has been detained in a makeshift jail since July 16 last year in an extortion case, is facing a plethora of corruption charges.

The now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAC) had filed the case in December 2001 against Hasina, former army chief Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman, former air chief Air Marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed, former Defense Secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhtar Maroof, Defense Joint Secretary (retd) Mohammad Hossain Serniabat and businessman Noor Ali.

While Hasina was Prime Minister (1996-2001), eight Russian-made fighter planes of the brand were procured for the Bangladesh Air Force.

Immediate after the BNP-led 4-party alliance came to power, the BAC filed the case. According to FIR, the government incurred a loss of Tk 700 crore on account of the warplane purchase.

The longstanding case remained dormant following a High Court order upon petitions filed by the accused for quashing the case.

The army-backed interim government that has waged war on corruption allegedly committed during the political regimes revived the case, as a purge is now on stream.