Prosecution drops 10 graft cases against Hasina

Dhaka: Bangladesh plans to withdraw 10 graft cases against Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina with state-appointed prosecutors saying those were filed with a "political motive" during the interim regime.

"We recommended the withdrawal of the cases after reviewing the charges, which we found to be politically motivated," public prosecutor Mohammad Abdullah Abu told reporters yesterday.

He said the prosecution also suggested lifting of 40 other corruption cases against other politicians as "those were aimed to harass politicians", including several senior Awami League leaders.

The move came three months after the December 29 general election installed Hasina's Awami League in power with three-fourths majority after two years of emergency rule under an interim government after the January 11, 2007 proclamation of the state of emergency.

Installed with crucial military support, the interim administration launched an anti-graft campaign that saw the arrest of nearly 200 high profile people, mostly politicians while Hasina and her archrival Khalida Zia of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) too were detained for nearly one year to face the trial.

More than 150 people, including 70 high-profile politicians belonging both the parties were jailed for various terms and many others fled the country or went into hiding to evade arrest while Hasina and Zia were freed on an "executive order" and High Court bail ahead of the elections.

The cases against the two leaders were pending before the High Court after they challenged the legality of the trials in special courts under tough Emergency Power Rules (EPR).

Officials said a government-appointed committee, constituted to review the graft cases filed during the caretaker government, would now review the recommendations of the public prosecutors. But the development came in less then a month after Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chief and ex-army chief Hassan Mashhud Chowdhury resigned amid what he said "evolving situation" after two years of anti-graft campaign though Hasina urged him to carry on as the chief of the independent body.

Several analysts said the campaign suffered a setback after the installation of the political government. But the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court earlier this month issued an order overturning a High Court order granting several convicted politicians bail . The top court asked all fugitives to appear before the trial court.