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Dhaka: Former prime minister and Awami League chief Shaikh Hasina was on Sunday indicted along with two co-accused in an extortion case after several days of hearing.
January 17 has been set as the start of the trial proceedings.
Metropolitan sessions judge Mohammad Azizul Haque framed the charge against Hasina as she appeared in the court amid heavy security from a nearby makeshift sub-jail at the parliament complex.
The two other co-accused were Hasina's expatriate younger sister Shaikh Rehana, and cousin and former health minister Shaikh Fazlul Karim Selim. Rehana, who lives in London, is being tried in absentia. "I did not take a single penny from anyone in my life ... I am completely innocent," Hasina said in an emotion choked voice as the court ordered her indictment.
She alleged that the case has been filed as part of a conspiracy to malign her while the interim government in emergency-ruled Bangladesh had proposed her to stay abroad to evade charges as she was on a visit outside the country several months ago.
The development came a day after the interim government chief Fakhruddin Ahmad said his administration decided to hold talks with political parties on reform measures as it completed the first year in power after its installation with crucial military support.
Soon after assuming office, the government announced the fight against corruption as their priority while 52 high profile figures mostly politicians were jailed, 21 of them for 10 years or more.
Officials said some 80 influential people, including Hasina and archrival Khalida Zia, were arrested as part of the massive anti-graft campaign while many high profile fugitives were tried in absentia.
Hasina was arrested on July 16 in connection with a case filed by Bangladeshi businessman Azam J. Chowdhury alleging that he was forced to pay the accused an amount of 30 million taka ($428,570; Dh1.57 million) as they threatened to cancel a power plant project when her Awami League government was in office in 1996-2001 term.
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