Ex-PM's extortion case appeal hearing delayed

Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme Court will hear a government appeal this weekend of a lower court ruling that quashed the extortion trial of former prime minister Shaikh Hasina, a defence lawyer said on Thursday.

A two-judge High Court panel ruled on Wednesday that the trial was illegal because it was being held under emergency rules, while the alleged extortion took place before the state of emergency was imposed last year.

The Attorney General's office quickly appealed the ruling. The Supreme Court was expected to review the case yesterday, but it deferred a hearing until Sunday after Hasina's lawyers sought more time.