The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court Sunday further extended its order until January 7, 2009 restraining the law from arresting or harassing ex-Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina in the Niko and Barge-mounted power plant graft cases.

A division bench comprising Justice Sheik Rezowan Ali and Justice M Rais Uddin passed the order.

The hearings on the rules over pending quashing petitions were also held back until January 7 next year.

The government attorney did not oppose the time prayer moved by Sheikh Hasina's counsel Barrister Shafique Ahmed, court sources said.

On July 7, the High Court, upon separate writ petitions filed by Sheikh Hasina, stayed the proceedings of both the cases. It had also issued separate rules asking the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to explain why the two cases "should not be quashed."

Following the HC orders, trial proceedings of both the cases are now stalled at the special courts set up at the parliament complex that deals with high-profile corruption cases following the 1/11 change of guards in state power.

On September 2 last year, the ACC filed the Barge-mounted power-plant case with Tejgaon police station against Hasina and several others, amid the crackdown on former ruling politicians.

It complained that the ex-Prime Minister and other accused through mutual understanding and use of influence had helped a foreign company and its local partners win a deal for setting up a 100MW barge-mounted power plant in Khulna, depriving the lowest bidder.

The ACC filed the Niko scam case on December 9 last year with Tejgaon police station. According to the charge sheet, the accused in collusion with one another awarded gas-extraction work in Chhatak, Kamta and Feni gas fields to Niko Resources Ltd., a Canadian company, "to gain personal financial benefit that caused a loss of Tk 13,630.50 crore to the state exchequer."