Staff Correspondent
A Dhaka court Sunday deferred charge-framing against Sheikh Hasina to April 27 in a case that alleges her involvement in the MiG-29 warplane purchase during her tenure as prime minister.

Judge Golam Mortuza of Dhaka Special Judge's Court set up in the Sangsad Bhaban reset the date for charge-framing in the presence of all the accused, except for Hasina.

Hasina was not taken to court because of her illness.

Abdullah Al Zahid, an official of the now defunct Bureau of Anticorruption, filed the graft case on Dec 11, 2001 with Tejgaon Police Station, alleging malpractice in the purchase of eight MiG-29 warplanes.

According to case details, the government incurred losses to the tune of Tk 700 crore because of the skewed purchase of the warplanes in 1999 during Hasina's tenure as prime minister.

A chargesheet in the case was submitted on Jan 29, 2003 against Hasina, retired air marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, retired joint secretary (defence) Mohammad Hossain Sherniabat, retired air commodore Mirza Akhter Maruf and Unique Group owner Noor Ali.

Hasina had appealed to the High Court in 2003 to cancel the case, which was rejected.