Opposition leader in Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wajed has been charged with the murder of four people during a political violence, which racked the Bangladesh’s capital city last October, police said Wednesday.Hasina, who is on holiday in the United States, “has been charged with the murder of four people during the political unrest last October,” police deputy commissioner Shahidul Haq Bhuiyan said. “The detective branch police has submitted the charge-sheet of the case to a Dhaka court after carrying out investigations and taking evidence,” Bhuiyan said.
The BangladeshÂ’s army-backed interim government ended three months in office on Wednesday with strong public support as it takes on the countryÂ’s top two politicians before re-scheduling the postponed polls.
Hasina is cutting short a visit to the US to be available for the investigation into charges filed by a businessman that she extorted 30 million taka ($436,000) while in power. The government said the probe, started by police, would likely be handed over to the national anti-corruption council, which is dealing with high-profile cases.
HasinaÂ’s arch-rival and the most recent prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, who ended her five-year term in October, has been in virtual confinement at her Dhaka home. The interim government headed by former central bank chief Fakhruddin Ahmed postponed an election planned for January 22 in the wake of widespread political violence. The Election Commission said preparing a flawless voters roll might take up to 18 months, suggesting an election might not be held in two years or more.
Hasina’s political future largely depends on the outcome of the extortion allegation. If convicted, she might be banned from contesting elections for up to five years, lawyers said. Speculation also abounds about the fate of Khaleda. Newspapers on Wednesday quoted BNP and police sources as saying she might leave the country and her likely destination was Saudi Arabia. “The whole nation is currently in a fix and what happens to whom is anybody’s guess,” a senior government official, requesting anonymity, said on Wednesday.