Hello Everybody,
As you all know, there have been some significant developments in the cases against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The first trial initiated was a charge of extorting money from businessman Azam Chowdhury. This trial started early December and under the Emergency Powers Rule 2007 (EPR) has to be concluded by the end of February. The developments in this case are:
1. Last week Azam Chowdhury called a press conference and announced that he did not file charges against Sheikh Hasina and she had nothing at all to do with this case.
2. The only evidence the military regime has provided is the confession of Sheikh Selim, former Minister and Sheikh Hasina's cousin. On the very first day of hearings Sheikh Selim submitted to the court in writing that he was physically tortured repeatedly and threatened with death to make a false confession against Sheikh Hasina. He wished to retract his confession.
3. In fact, there is evidence exonerating Sheikh Hasina. The money was paid by check and the checks were endorsed and cashed by a third person. This person has not been investigated by the military regime at all.
4. Yesterday Azam Chowdhury testified in court. His testimony was that he did not file charges against Sheikh Hasina, that she had nothing to do with the case and that he had never even met her.
5. The High Court (appeals court) had appointed seven attorneys as Amicus Curae, or "friends of the court" to file briefs on her motion that trying her under the EPR was illegal. One attorney refused himself but the remaining six submitted briefs that trying Sheikh Hasina under the EPR for allegations that occurred seven years prior to the enactment of the EPR was indeed illegal and unconstitutional.
The second trial is a charge of receiving a bribe from Summit Industries. Summit Industries won a contract to build a power plant in Khulna. Shortly after, they purchased the house next to the Bangabandhu Museum and donated it to the Museum. The Museum is owned and operated by the Bangabandhu Trust, which also provides scholarships to 1200 needy students. Sheikh Hasina is the Chairperson of the Board of the Trust, but a curator and staff run the day to day operations and manage all financial transactions. The regime claims that another bidder, New England Power, was the lowest in this project and that this donation was a bribe to Sheikh Hasina to give Summit the contract. This trial has to conclude in March under the EPR. The facts in this case so far are:
1. Donation was made in kind to the Bangabandu Trust. The regime has never claimed that Sheikh Hasina received any money from Summit Industries or any other individuals involved in this project.
2. An independent accounting firm, who are the local partners of Earnst and Young, has evaluated the project and concluded that Summit was in fact the lowest bidder. New England Power's bid did not use the specified tariff rates but instead attempted to cheat and used a lower "estimated" rate with a clause that allowed them to subsequently raise their price if the actual tariff rate was higher. Because of this their bid was considered "unresponsive" and disqualified.
4. At about the same time Summit Industries also made a cash donation to the Dhaka Cantonment Board. The Cantonment Board is owned by the Army and this donation was for building a hospital. This donation was in the amount of $2 million and is four times the monetary value of the donation to the Bangabandhu Trust.
Both these trials are being conducted in special courts set up under the EPR. The regime, including Chief Advisor Fakruddin Ahmed, is lying in claiming she is being tried under the "law of the land".
The first trial initiated was a charge of extorting money from businessman Azam Chowdhury. This trial started early December and under the Emergency Powers Rule 2007 (EPR) has to be concluded by the end of February. The developments in this case are:
1. Last week Azam Chowdhury called a press conference and announced that he did not file charges against Sheikh Hasina and she had nothing at all to do with this case.
2. The only evidence the military regime has provided is the confession of Sheikh Selim, former Minister and Sheikh Hasina's cousin. On the very first day of hearings Sheikh Selim submitted to the court in writing that he was physically tortured repeatedly and threatened with death to make a false confession against Sheikh Hasina. He wished to retract his confession.
3. In fact, there is evidence exonerating Sheikh Hasina. The money was paid by check and the checks were endorsed and cashed by a third person. This person has not been investigated by the military regime at all.
4. Yesterday Azam Chowdhury testified in court. His testimony was that he did not file charges against Sheikh Hasina, that she had nothing to do with the case and that he had never even met her.
5. The High Court (appeals court) had appointed seven attorneys as Amicus Curae, or "friends of the court" to file briefs on her motion that trying her under the EPR was illegal. One attorney refused himself but the remaining six submitted briefs that trying Sheikh Hasina under the EPR for allegations that occurred seven years prior to the enactment of the EPR was indeed illegal and unconstitutional.
The second trial is a charge of receiving a bribe from Summit Industries. Summit Industries won a contract to build a power plant in Khulna. Shortly after, they purchased the house next to the Bangabandhu Museum and donated it to the Museum. The Museum is owned and operated by the Bangabandhu Trust, which also provides scholarships to 1200 needy students. Sheikh Hasina is the Chairperson of the Board of the Trust, but a curator and staff run the day to day operations and manage all financial transactions. The regime claims that another bidder, New England Power, was the lowest in this project and that this donation was a bribe to Sheikh Hasina to give Summit the contract. This trial has to conclude in March under the EPR. The facts in this case so far are:
1. Donation was made in kind to the Bangabandu Trust. The regime has never claimed that Sheikh Hasina received any money from Summit Industries or any other individuals involved in this project.
2. An independent accounting firm, who are the local partners of Earnst and Young, has evaluated the project and concluded that Summit was in fact the lowest bidder. New England Power's bid did not use the specified tariff rates but instead attempted to cheat and used a lower "estimated" rate with a clause that allowed them to subsequently raise their price if the actual tariff rate was higher. Because of this their bid was considered "unresponsive" and disqualified.
4. At about the same time Summit Industries also made a cash donation to the Dhaka Cantonment Board. The Cantonment Board is owned by the Army and this donation was for building a hospital. This donation was in the amount of $2 million and is four times the monetary value of the donation to the Bangabandhu Trust.
Both these trials are being conducted in special courts set up under the EPR. The regime, including Chief Advisor Fakruddin Ahmed, is lying in claiming she is being tried under the "law of the land".
Look Celucas, what a wonderful country we are in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...................
-- MA
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