October 31, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 1, 1429

DHAKA, Oct 30: The Supreme Court denied bail to former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed on Thursday, preventing her from participating in upcoming elections, her lawyers said.

Sheikh Hasina, who spent almost a year in custody on graft charges and is on parole in the United States, where she is receiving medical treatment, after the High Court on Sept 29 denied her bail.

Her lawyer Rafiqul Haq said the Supreme Court had upheld the decision, which meant she was forbidden from taking part in politics.

“She cannot do politics on parole but she can if she gets bail,” he said.

“The situation has become very serious. We’ll demand the case to be withdrawn otherwise she won’t be taking part in the elections.” She faces several other corruption charges and has been granted bail in all but this case, in which she is accused of extorting over $750,000 from a businessman when she was prime minister.

Another lawyer Sheikh Fazle Noor said the decision had come as a shock to her legal team.

“We are completely surprised and dismayed,” he said. “The government gave her parole on medical grounds and we were seeking bail on the same grounds.”

Sheikh Hasina’s parole is due to expire on Nov 6 and she had been expected to return to Bangladesh to campaign for the December general election that will end almost two years of emergency rule.

Her political rival Khaleda Zia was released on bail in September after more than a year in custody, also on corruption charges.

Dhaka University political professor Ataur Rahman said the Supreme Court’s move had created confusion over whether Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party would take part in the elections. “It’s not yet certain. Both the major parties have declared they will not go to the polls without their leaders,” he said.—AFP