Dhaka
Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina will go on trial
for having allegedly benefited from the purchase of eight Russian
MiG-29 warplanes during her 1996-2001 tenure in office.
The Dhaka High Court Thursday turned down her petition for quashing
the case and admitted the government's application to resume the
trial that had been held in abeyance after a high court order six
years ago.
A division bench of Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury and Justice M.
Ataur Rahman Khan passed the orders, clearing the way for trial
proceedings against Hasina and four former high officials, Star
Online reported.
The government of Hasina's political rival, Begum Khaleda Zia, had
instituted the case in 2001, alleging that the country had lost Taka
seven billion ($1.16 million) in the purchase.
Hasina's lawyers and the Awami League that she heads say that her
government had actually worked to whittle down the price from $289
million to $119 million, saving $170 million.
The purchase was done through floating of international tenders and
that there were no irregularities or corruption in the process of
purchasing the MiG-29 planes, they maintained.
Parliament's standing committee in its 32nd meeting examined the
process of purchasing the MiG-29 and reported that the contract was
gone through according to law.
Hasina's counsel Shafique Ahmed placed some relevant documents of
the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) before the court.
The Hasina government had made major part of the payment while in
office. As the Zia government did not pay the remaining amount,
Russia filed a case with the ICA. Government lawyers assigned to
face the case suggested a compromise under which the remaining
amount was paid to the Russian government.
Hasina's counsel have contended that a few months before the
purchase of MIG-29 by Bangladesh, Malaysia purchased MIG-29 from
Russia at about one and a half times higher price than that paid by
Bangladesh, which is the lowest for that aircraft so far.
Former army chief Lt Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman, ex air force
chief Air Marshal (retd) Jamal Uddin Ahmed, retired defence
secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhtar
Maruf, retired defence joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat
and businessman Noor Ali are also named in the charge sheet in the
case.
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