Hasina seeks nod to attend to ailing husband

Detained former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has made an emotional appeal to the military-backed interim government to permit her to attend to her ailing husband.

Detained former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has made an emotional appeal to the military-backed interim government to permit her to attend to her ailing husband.

HT Image

"Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina formally submitted an application seeking permission to be with her ailing husband," said Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui.

"We'll forward this letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs to take a decision about it," said Maj Siddiqui, who is DIG (Prisons).

Hasina's husband Wajed Miah is undergoing treatment at Square Hospital for various complications, including cardiac problems, Unb news agency said.

The Awami League leader has been detained in a makeshift jail to face an extortion charge.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Supreme Court stayed a High Court order granting detained former premier bail in an extortion case.

Chief Justice Mohammad Ruhul Amin ordered the stay after a full bench heard the government appeal against the High Court order that had also asked authorities not to proceed with the case under the tough emergency power rules until disposal of a pending writ filed by the ex-premier.

The Appellate Division, however, asked the "concerned parties" to dispose by August 14 the writ in High Court challenging the legal validity of the trial of the extortion case against Hasina under the emergency laws.

Hasina, earlier, said the charges brought against her by a Bangladeshi businessman were "false" and part of a plot to "annihilate" her.