The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on Thursday issued warrants of arrest against 18 people including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul in a case filed over allegations of corruption in allotting Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha鈥檚 land in the Purbachal New Town project.
Judge Md Zakir Hossain of the court passed the order accepting a charge sheet against the 18 people in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission on January 12 this year.
This is the first arrest warrant in a corruption case against Sheikh Hasina since August 5, 2024 when the Hasina-led Awami League regime was ousted from power amid a mass uprising and she fled to India for shelter.
The court also ordered the officers-in-charge of concerned police stations to submit a report on May 4 on the execution of the arrest warrants against the accused individuals.
The other 16 accused are housing and public works affairs ministry鈥檚 former secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker, former additional secretary Kazi Washi Uddin, administrative officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, senior assistant secretary Purabi Goldar, Rajuk鈥檚 former chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former members Md Khurshid Alam, Kabir Al Asad, Tonmoy Das, Md Nasir Uddin, retired major Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, and Md Nurul Islam, deputy directors Md Hafizur Rahman and Habibur Rahman, director Sheikh Shahinul Islam, deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 former personal secretary Mohammad Salahuddin and housing and public works affairs former state minister Sharif Ahmed.
鈥楢s the accused are absconding, the court issued the arrest warrants against them in the corruption case,鈥� said ACC public prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam.
On March 10, ACC assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya submitted a charge sheet against the 18 accused in the graft case.
According to the case statement, Saima Wazed was accused of taking the land allotment through irregularities, while others were accused of assisting her in getting 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 a criminal breach of trust to benefit both 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, according to the case statement.
On September 14, 2022, the ministry, in a letter, instructed the Rajuk chairman to take the necessary steps to allot a 10-katha plot to Saima.
The provisions of the Rajuk Trust 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 the name of Saima Wazed.
The case further describes that, violating rules, Saima 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 prohibit allotting land in Dhaka city to anyone who themselves or their family members own a house, flat, or land plot in its jurisdiction in Dhaka.
The ACC on December 26, 2024 launched an inquiry against Hasina and her family members over allegations of irregularities and abuse of power in acquiring six plots, each measuring 10 kathas, in favour of her family members in the Purbachal New Town project.
