One of Bangladesh's two “battling begums” went on trial for extortion yesterday, as part of the emergency Government's plan to break their stranglehold on politics and exclude them from an election this year.

Sheikh Hasina Wajed, a former Prime Minister, has been in detention since July, accused with her sister and cousin of extorting $440,000 from a businessman while in power between 1996 and 2001.

Khaleda Zia — her arch rival and another former Prime Minister — is awaiting trial on similar corruption charges dating back to her last term in office, in 2001-06.

The two women, who have dominated Bangladeshi politics for almost two decades, were arrested after the army forced the President to cancel parliamentary polls and impose emergency rule in January last year.

The interim administration that took over, pledging to eradicate corruption, hopes to have them both convicted — or sent into exile — before the elections that it has promised by the end of this year.

“We firmly believe by the end of this year we will be able to develop a pluralist system in the country which will reflect the hopes and aspirations of the 145 million people of the country,” Fakhruddin Ahmed, leader of the interim Government, said on Saturday.

The Government was forced to back down last year after trying to send both women into exile and, though it has arrested 170 politicians, it has failed to find new faces to challenge them in the polls.

Only a few hours after Mrs Wajed's trial began yesterday, it was adjourned so that judges could hear an appeal from her lawyers. They say that she is being tried under emergency laws for a crime that was allegedly committed before emergency rule began. “The High Court has stayed the trial on this extortion case until it gives a decision on Hasina's prayer,” Rafiqul Haque, one of her lawyers, told reporters.

Mrs Wajed's legal team has also complained that jail authorities did not allow them to meet their client to discuss her defence. At a pre-trial hearing on Sunday Mrs Wajed described the charges against her as baseless. “I haven't taken any money from anyone,” she said. “The emergency Government has filed the cases against me so that I cannot contest the elections.”

Mrs Wajed, the head of the Awami League party, is accused of taking $440,000 in kickbacks from a businessman in return for allowing a floating power plant to be built. Her sister, Sheikh Rehana, who is currently in London, is being tried in absentia.

Mrs Wajed faces a second charge, due in court soon, involving the alleged extortion of $735,000 from another businessman while in office.

Mrs Zia, head of the Bangladesh National Party, is accused of taking kickbacks in office from a local firm while awarding contracts for container handling work at Bangladesh's main port.

The begums could face up to 14 years in prison if convicted.

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