Hasina fears injustice as hearing on charge sheet in extortion case adjourned

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A metropolitan magistrate's court Wednesday adjourned for two weeks the hearing as to whether the charge sheet in the Tk 29.9 million (2.99 crore) extortion case against Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and their cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim would be accepted, reports UNB.
The court order came following an objection raised by the counsel for the accused on the ground that the court cannot proceed further as the disputed case is pending before the High Court for disposal.
After a brief hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate KM Ruhul Amin adjourned the hearing on the charge sheet until September 19.
On July 24, Gulshan Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Obaidul Huq, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court against them.
A total of 24 people were shown as prosecution witnesses in the charge sheet.
Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of East Coast Trading Pvt Ltd, filed the case with Gulshan Police Station against Hasina and Sheikh Selim on June 13 accusing them of extorting Tk 29.9 million from him.
Rehana's name was included in the charge sheet as her involvement with the extortion was found during investigation.
Joint forces arrested Hasina in the case on July 16 and produced her before a magistrate's court that sent her to a special jail in the Jatiya Sangsad complex.
According to another report, detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina Wednesday said, she was a victim of conspiracy, and expressed her apprehension that she would not get justice.
"I have been made victim. I seek blessings from the countrymen so that I can get justice," Hasina was quoted as saying by one of her personal staff.