Dhaka: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was today cleared in the first graft case filed against her as part of a massive anti-corruption campaign by current interim government in the emergency-ruled country.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mominul Hassan cleared the Awami League chief after police filed a final report in the case saying their primary investigation did not prove her guilty as alleged by businessman Noor Ali.
Ali had filed the case accusing the ex-premier and her two relatives of forcing him to pay Taka 5 crore as extortion money. Hasina was arrested in July last year.
Tejgaon police officer-in-charge Lutfur Rahman submitted the report that found no proof of allegations against Hasina's cousin Sheikh Helal and his wife, also accused in the case.
The development came as Hasina is expected to return home tomorrow after undergoing a treatment for critical hearing impairment in the US ahead of the planned December 18 elections. The caretaker government had freed her on an "executive order" on medical grounds.
The ex-premier, however, still faces four other graft charges, while her arch-rival and BNP chief Khaleda Zia is booked under at least four corruption cases. Zia was arrested on September 3, 2007 and was freed on bail granted by the High Court in September this year.
The Election Commission had, earlier, said that graft charges would not debar them from contesting the upcoming polls as they were yet to be convicted under the tough emergency power rules.
