[JURIST] The Bangladesh Supreme Court [official backgrounder] has overturned a court order granting bail to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed [party profile], ruling Monday that she should remain in prison as she awaits trial on extortion charges [JURIST report]. Earlier this month, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ruled Hasina could be detained and prosecuted under emergency laws declared by the interim emergency government, overturning the High Court Division's ruling that suspended Hasina's extortion trial [JURIST report]. Hasina's lawyers had argued that she cannot be charged under the new laws because her alleged offenses originate from circumstances dating over eight years ago, before the government came to power in January.

The interim emergency government [JURIST report], which has the backing of the military, has used its anti-corruption campaign [BBC Q&A; JURIST news archive] to justify the emergency laws, and has also filed tax evasion charges against Hasina's rival, former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia [UN profile]. Reuters has more.