The 'Trial of Sheikh-Hasina'

The extortion-trial of the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has formally begun. But the businessman who filed the case told the court that it was not Sheikh Hasina who had demanded the payment, but one of her cousins.

Sheikh Hasina and family-members deny receiving payments of about $435,000 from the businessman from 1996 to 2001.

'Politically motivated'
The special court set up on the grounds of Bangladesh's defunct parliament to try this case - after numerous adjournments - heard from Azam J. Chowdhury, the owner of a power company.

He said, Sheikh Selim, the cousin of the then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, demanded this money, saying that some of it would go to Hasina herself. Mr Chowdhury said he did not have any direct contact with Hasina.

Via BBC