The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday filed a case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul and 14 others over allegations of corruption in allotting Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha land plots in the Purbachal New Town project.
This is the first corruption case against Sheikh Hasina since August 5 when she resigned as prime minister and fled to India amid a student-led mass uprising.
Anti-Corruption Commission assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya filed the case with its Dhaka-1integrated district office, said its director general for prevention Md Akhtar Hossain.
The other accused in the case are former secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker; its additional secretary Kazi Washi Uddin; its administrative officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar; its senior assistant secretary Purabi Goldar; former Rajuk chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah; its former member (state and land) Md Khurshid Alam; its member (administration and finance) Kabir Al Asad; its member (development control) Tonmoy Das; its former member (planning) Md Nasir Uddin; former member (development) retired major Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury; member (estate and land) Md Nurul Islam; deputy director (estate and land-3) Md Hafizur Rahman; deputy director (estate and land-3) Habibur Rahman; and director (estate and land-2) Sheikh Shahinul Islam.
Saima Wazed was accused of taking the plot鈥檚 allotment through irregularities while others were accused of assisting her to get the plot illegally.
The case document states that in 2008, RAJUK issued a public notice through advertisements that said it would allot plots in the Purbachal New town project.
The accused, Saima Wazed, did not apply for any plots in the project within the time limit and in the prescribed form set by RAJUK, it said.
Sheikh Hasina abused the power vested in her and influenced the staff of her office through criminal breach of trust to benefit both聽 herself and her daughter Saima Wazed as a letter was sent from her office to the secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on September 11, 2022, asking the ministry to allot a 10-katha plot in the Purbachal New Town project to Saima Wazed, according to the case statement.
On September 14, 2022, in a letter signed by the ministry鈥檚 senior assistant secretary Purabi Goldar, the chairman of Rajuk was instructed to take necessary steps to allot a 10-katha plot to Saima.
According to the provisions of the Rajuk Trust, it has a particular committee to allot plots among the eligible, prospective and actual applicants. The provisions also make it binding for Rajuk to publish in newspapers the information of the candidates who have been allotted the Rajuk plots.
The ACC inquiry revealed that the list of names published by Rajuk in this regard did not contain Saima Wazed, according to the case statement.
The case further describes that violating rules, Saima Wazed used her mother鈥檚 power to gain the allotment of Plot 017 on Road 203 of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town Project although she or her family members own a house or flat or housing facility in the area under the Rajuk jurisdiction in Dhaka city.
Rajuk rules do not allow allotting plots in Dhaka city to anyone who themselves or their family members own house, flat or land plot in its jurisdiction in the city.
Sheikh Hasina abused her power and influenced the officials of the ministry, Rajuk and Prime Minister鈥檚 Office and had her daughter Saima Wazed obtain the possession of the plot, the case further said.
Saima registered the plot in her name by which she committed a punishable offence by misappropriating government land and illegally occupying it, the case document stated.
The corruption case was filed on Sunday following an inquiry by the ACC launched on December 26 last year. The inquiry was carried out against Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and four of their children over allegations of irregularities and abuse of power in acquiring government plots spanning 60 katha of land in Purbachal.
The four others facing the inquiry are Hasina鈥檚 son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, Rehana鈥檚 son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and her youngest daughter Azmina Siddiq.
According to the allegations, Sheikh Hasina, in collusion with top officials of Rajuk, facilitated the allocation of six plots鈥攅ach is 10 katha in size鈥攊n her and family members鈥� names through irregularities and corruption during her prime minister鈥檚 tenure.
These six plots are situated on Road 203 in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project, as per the allegations.
Rajuk issued an allotment letter on August 3, 2022, allotting a 10-katha plot to Sheikh Hasina (plot number 009), while it allotted two plots to Sajeeb Wazed (plot number 015) and Saima Wazed (plot number 017).
Sajeeb鈥檚 allotment letter was issued on October 24, 2022, while Sayma鈥檚 allotment letter was issued on November 2, the same year.
A 10-katha plot (plot number 013) was also allocated to Sheikh Rehana. The same size plots were also allotted in the names of his son Radwan Mujib (plot number 011) and daughter Azmina Siddiq (plot number 019).
Apart from this, on December 17, the ACC also launched an inquiry against Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed, Sheikh Rehana, and Tulip Siddique over allegations of embezzlement and corruption involving Tk 80,000 crore in nine mega projects.
The anti-corruption agency, on December 22, also decided on another inquiry against Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed over the allegations of laundering $300 million abroad.
