DHAKA, May 16: A graft case against former premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed has been revived, officials said on Wednesday, weeks after the emergency government backed down over banning her from returning to the country.

Sheikh Hasina and three others were previously charged with misappropriating 180 million taka ($2.61 million) during the bidding for a power plant when she was prime minister from 1996-2001.

“We have pleaded for an early hearing. But the High Court fixed the hearing of the case on July 25,” deputy attorney general Helaluddin Mollah said.

“The High Court had in December 2002 suspended the hearing of the case. But on Wednesday the court accepted the government's appeal to hear the case,” he added.

The case was filed immediately after Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in 2001 elections.

The then Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government pressed charges against her, two junior ministers in her cabinet and the manager of a company owned by one of the ministers.

Sheikh Hasina, who leads the Awami League party, has also been charged with murder and extortion since the country's military-backed emergency government took power in January 2007.

The murder and extortion cases were filed while she was visiting relatives in the United States in March.

The government also issued a ban on her returning to Bangladesh. The ban was later lifted and the government denied that it had sought to exile her.

She returned to a triumphant welcome from 20,000 Awami League supporters last week.

Sheikh Hasina has denied all wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the allegations against her, although the government has been seen as trying to force her — as well as BNP leader Khaleda Zia, who left office as prime minister in October — into exile in order to reshape Bangladeshi politics.The two women, who have held power alternately since 1991, are accused of years of misrule that led to an emergency being declared on Jan 11.—AFP