Murder charge against Bangladesh PM dropped
August 17th, 2009 - 6:31 pm ICT by IANS
Dhaka, Aug 17 (IANS) A Dhaka court Monday dropped a murder charge against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her political associates, which was levelled almost three years ago for being present at a rally that witnessed a clash leading to seven deaths.
Metropolitan Magistrate Dilara Alo Chandana passed the order after Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Md Abdullah Abu submitted a petition along with a recommendation letter of the home ministry for withdrawal of the case.
The clash between workers of Hasina-led alliance and that of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami took place Oct 29, 2006. It happened amid a charged political atmosphere two days before Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s government quit office.
Reports of that time indicated that the Jamaat activists, allegedly present to disrupt the Hasina rally, were attacked. Both sides lodged complaints with the police the next day.
Hasina’s name did not figure in Jamaat’s complaint, but was added by a police official.
Bangladesh witnessed political turmoil during three months when a caretaker government headed by then president Iajuddin Ahmed was in office.
It paved the way for another caretaker government in January 2007, when elections were called off.
A national emergency imposed then lasted till last December’s elections that brought Sheikh Hasina to power.
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Tags: activists, caretaker government, chandana, clash, home ministry, iajuddin ahmed, islami, islamist, khaleda zia, magistrate, minister sheikh hasina, murder charge, national emergency, police official, political atmosphere, political turmoil, president iajuddin ahmed, prime minister khaleda, public prosecutor, recommendation letter
