Corruption charge against Hasina withdrawn

Dhaka, May 17: A Bangladeshi court today withdrew a corruption charge against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after the businessman who filed the case said he was pressured to do so by the earlier interim government.
Judge Mozammel Hossain of the Special Judge's Court-5 withdrew the case after a petition by Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu, the Daily Star newspaper reported today The Taka 3 crore extortion case against the Awami League leader was filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury on June 13, 2007.

"The charge was brought against Hasina because a businessman said Hasina took a bribe over a deal for a power plant. He now says he was forced to lay the charge by authorities," assistant public prosecutor Kabir Hossain was quoted as saying by the AFP.

On April 14, Abdullah Abu filed the petition before the court to withdraw the extortion case against Hasina.

Earlier on September 16 last year, the court stayed proceedings of the case and also granted bail to Hasina following a petition filed by her, the report said.

Abu earlier recommended that 11 other cases against the prime minister be withdrawn as tehy were filed to "tarnish the image of the Awami League chief and her previous government".

The cases include those filed by the last BNP-led government for alleged graft in the purchase of MiG-29s for the air force and Frigate for the navy, and in the construction of Bangabandhu Planetarium, the daily said. PTI