Former PM Sheikh Hasina and 27 others, including her family members, were indicted in six graft cases over illegal land allocation under Bangladesh’s Purbachal Project. The ACC alleges misuse of power and property concealment, with the accused linked to embezzlement worth Tk 80,000 crore and laundering $300 million.
Twenty-eight people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul were indicted in six cases filed over alleged irregularities in plot allocation under the Purbachal New Town project in Bangladesh.
The list of accused also includes Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, her daughters British MP Tulip Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq , and several current and former officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
After a short hearing, Judge Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-5 framed charges against the accused in their absence in three cases. As all the accused have been absconding, the judge could not read out the charges to them. The judge fixed August 11 for starting trial of the cases. While Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka framed charges against the accused in three other cases over the same allegations.
On July 1, the same court directed the government to issue six gazette notifications summoning 28 individuals, including Hasina and Rehana, to appear before it today in connection with the cases. The order came after police submitted reports on previously issued arrest warrants in the case, said court sources.
Earlier, on April 10, 13 and 15, the same court issued arrest warrants against 28 people, including Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Saima, Tulip, Azmina and Radwan after taking cognisance of the charges brought against them in six cases.
On March 25, the ACC submitted six charge sheets against Hasina and others in the six cases. Hasina is a common accused in all six cases. The ACC has listed all accused as fugitives. On January 12, the ACC filed the cases with its Dhaka Integrated District Office against Hasina and others.
According to the case statement, Saima Wazed, the prime accused, concealed information about ownership of housing or apartments by her and her family members within the jurisdiction of Rajuk and abused Hasina’s (second accused) authority as a public servant by influencing and colluding with 14 public officials involved in the allocation process to secure a plot in the Purbachal project despite her ineligibility.
According to the ACC documents, Hasina, in collusion with senior Rajuk officials, had six plots of land allotted to herself, Joy, Saima Wazed, Rehana, Bobby, and Azmina Siddiq, in violation of existing regulation. The six plots, each measuring 10 kathas, are in the diplomatic zone of Sector-27 in the Purbachal New Town project.
| Also Read: US reduces tariff on Bangladeshi goods to 20% |
On December 17, 2024, the ACC launched the probe into allegations of embezzlement totalling Tk 80,000 crore against Hasina and her family members from nine projects, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. On December 22, 2024, the commission also launched an investigation against Hasina and Joy over allegations of laundering $300 million to the United States.
