VOA常速英语2008年-Bangladesh High Court Says Former PM Trial is I

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
06 February 2008

Bangladesh's High Court has thrown out a corruption¹ case brought against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by the interim² government. The ruling puts a question mark over hundreds of other ongoing³ trials involving high profile politicians. But as Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the government plans to appeal the verdict in the Bangladesh Supreme⁴ Court.

The High Court in Dhaka has ruled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's trial by a fast-track court is illegal because the corruption charges against her date back to before emergency rule in the country.

Therefore, the court has ruled the case cannot be tried under emergency laws.

Sheikh Hasina faces accusations⁵ of extorting⁶ about $450,000 from a businessman when she was in office from 1996 to 2001.

Her lawyers call the High Court verdict a victory. Analysts⁷ say the ruling is significant because it could benefit hundreds of politicians being tried under emergency laws on charges of corruption.

But the reprieve⁸ won by Sheikh Hasina may be short lived. The government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking a stay or reversal of the High Court decision.

Ataur Rahman, professor of political science at Dhaka University, says the Supreme Court has overturned several High Court rulings in recent months.

"For the last few months, the High Court has been giving verdict which was against the government, and somehow the Supreme Court reverses it," Rahman said. "We have to wait for the Supreme Court decision. In this case also, people also are thinking that the government might not be in a problem."

Sheikh Hasina rejects the corruption charges against her, saying they are politically motivated.

The interim government launched a crackdown on corruption soon after taking charge in January last year. It banned political activity and arrested more than 170 key politicians, including two former prime ministers on charges of corruption. Most of them are being prosecuted⁹ under emergency laws that prohibit bail¹⁰ and provide for trial by special courts.

Analysts say political corruption was rife¹¹ in Bangladesh. The interim government says it wants to root out the problem before holding elections later this year.

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

6 extorting   

v.敲诈( extort的现在分词 )；曲解

参考例句：

• Corrupt government officials were extorting money from him. 腐败的政府官员向他敲诈钱财。 来自辞典例句
• He's been charged with extorting protection money from the shopkeepers. 他被指控对店主敲诈勒索保护费。 来自互联网

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

9 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

10 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

11 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。