Bangladesh's former PM Hasina booked under EPR

Dhaka, Sep 20 (UNI) Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) brought the graft case filed against detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina under Emergency Power Rules.

The ACC approved the proposal to bring the case under the emergency rules, making the offence non-bailable. ''The decision was made at a meeting headed by the ACC's chairman in response to an appeal made by the deputy director of the ACC who is also the investigation officer of the case,' sources were quoted as saying by New Age.

The investigation officer will today submit the copy of the ACC's decision to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for its final approval, the sources added.

On July 17, the home ministry decided to apply the emergency rules in the two extortion cases against Hasina -- one filed with the Tejgaon police station by an Awami League leader, Noor Ali, on June 9, and another filed with Gulshan police station by businessman Azam J Chowdhury on June 13.

The case was lodged against Hasina and six others by the ACC on September 2, accusing them of taking a bribe of Tk 3 crore from owners of two different companies in exchange for giving them permission to set up a barge-mounted power plant in Khulna.

UNI