[JURIST] An arrest warrant [JURIST report] issued over the weekend for former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina [Wikipedia profile] was suspended Monday after police asked the judge presiding over the case to allow them more time to continue their investigation. Hasina was charged [JURIST report] in absentia earlier this month with four counts of murder arising from the deaths of four protesters during political turmoil in October. She has denied the charges and has said that she plans to return to Bangladesh to fight the charges, but was prevented from boarding a plane to Dhaka this weekend after Bangladeshi authorities banned her from entering the country.

Hasina and her former political opponent, Khaleda Zia [Virtual Bangladesh profile], are both facing heavy scrutiny during the current interim government's crackdown on the political corruption in Bangladesh [JURIST news archive]. A state of emergency [JURIST report] was imposed in January after violent and fatal street fights between followers of Hasina and Zia. The anti-corruption campaign has already led to the detentions of more than 160 senior government officials. AP has more.