January 01, 2008	Tuesday	Zilhaj 21, 1428

DHAKA, Dec 31: Bangladesh’s detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fell sick on Monday during a court hearing against her for alleged extortion, witnesses said.

“She has been suffering from high blood pressure and other complications,” one of Hasina’s physicians told reporters.

Hasina was accused of extorting some $1 million from two businessmen while in power.

Now a court has ordered Hasina formally arrested in a second case over allegations of corruption in awarding oil and gas exploration contracts to the Canadian firm Niko that “inflicted enormous loss” to the state, a senior commission official said.—Reuters