DHAKA, 28 August 2007 — The Bangladesh Supreme Court yesterday stayed a High Court order granting bail to former Prime Minister Hasina Wajed in two “extortion” cases, scoring a point for the army-backed interim government after its struggle to quell countrywide student unrest last week.

The ruling overturned a High Court order for the release on bail of Hasina, who has been charged with extorting the equivalent of more than $1 million.

A six-member full bench of the appellate division, chaired by Chief Justice M. Ruhul Amin, passed the order. The apex court in its order extended the deadline by one week to allow detained Hasina to submit her statement of wealth to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The court further ordered that the stay will continue until disposal of the rules pending with the High Court. Hasina was detained six weeks ago and is being held inside a Parliament compound building that was turned into a special jail. “Hasina is shocked to learn of the court’s decision and fears she will not get justice under the present regime,” her lawyer, Khondakar Muniruzzaman, told reporters.

The High Court ruling was challenged in the Supreme Court by the interim administration that took over in January, imposed a state of emergency and launched a crackdown on corruption ahead of elections planned for late next year.

Separately yesterday, a court sentenced former minister Nazmul Huda to seven years in jail for taking a bribe of 24 million taka ($350,000) from a construction firm, court officials said.

Huda served as communications minister in the government of the most recent prime minister, Khaleda Zia. The court also ordered Huda’s wife, Sigma Huda, to serve three years in jail for abetting her husband in accepting the bribe, lawyers said.

More than 170 senior politicians, including over a dozen former ministers and a son of Khaleda, have been detained for alleged corruption since January.

Several of them, who served under both Khaleda and Hasina, her archrival, have already been convicted and sentenced to various prison terms.