PTI
 
Dhaka, Jul 16: In a pre-dawn raid by security forces, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on Monday arrested on charges of extortion and sent to jail by a court after rejection of her bail petition.

A huge convoy of vehicles escorted a police jeep carrying Hasina from her Sudhasadan residence in Dhanamandi area of the capital to the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrates court shortly after 7.30 am.

Magistrate Qumrunnahar ordered her to be sent to jail for an unspecified period rejecting a bail petition after a two-hour long hearing when over 50 lawyers led by Barrister Amirul Islam stood for the former premier.

Soon after the court order, security personnel escorted Hasina out of the courtroom and brought her to the parliament complex.

Lawyers who witnessed the proceedings said the court order came after the hearing on an extortion case and a murder charge brought earlier against Hasina by a businessman.

They said Hasina rejected the charges calling it part of a "conspiracy" while her lawyers protested the pre-dawn arrest asking if the country was under "emergency" or "military" rule.