Court sets 12 May for report on arrest warrants against Hasina, 28 others

A Dhaka court today set 12 May for submitting the report on the execution of arrest warrants against 29 individuals, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, in separate cases filed over irregularities in plot allocations under Rajuk Purbachal New Town Project.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order as police failed to submit the execution report today, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) public prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir told BSS.

Earlier, on 15 April, the same court issued arrest warrants against the accused in two separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over a scam involving plot allocations in the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) Purbachal New Town Project.

On 14 January, ACC deputy director Md Salahuddin filed a case against eight including Sheikh Hasina, for abusing power in allocating a 10-katha plot in the Purbachal New Town Project. 

Investigation officer and ACC assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya on 140 March filed the charge sheet against a total of 12.

Apart from Sheikh Hasina, the other 11 accused in the case were senior assistant secretary of Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Purobi Goldar; administrative officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar; former Rajuk chairman's personal assistant Md Anisur Rahman Miah; former Rajuk members Shafi Ul Haque, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (retd) Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, deputy director Nayeb Ali Sharif, secretaries Qazi Wasi Uddin and Shahid Ullah Khandaker and former state minister Sharif Ahmed.

According to the charge sheet, Sheikh Hasina did not submit any application through the official Rajuk process. None of her applications were deemed eligible by the Rajuk review committee following the necessary scrutiny.

"Her application was not even recorded in the official register of applicants. Even though she and her family members already owned a house, flat or housing facility within the jurisdiction of RAJUK in Dhaka city, accused Sheikh Hasina, acting with malicious intent, bypassed the relevant laws, regulations, policies and legal procedures governing the allocation of plots in the Purbachal New City Housing Project. She managed to secure the allocation of a 10-katha plot, registered it in her name and retained possession of it," the IO stated.

The second case, filed by ACC Assistant Director SM Rashedul Hasan, also lists Sheikh Hasina and her son Joy among 17 individuals accused in connection with the same irregularities. This case too was charge-sheeted on 10 March.

Apart from Sheikh Hasina and Joy, the other 15 accused in the case were senior assistant secretary of Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Purobi Goldar; administrative officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar; secretaries Qazi Wasi Uddin and Shahid Ullah Khandaker; former Rajuk chairman's personal assistant Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former Rajuk members Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Tanmay Das, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (retd) Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury and Md Nurul Islam; assistant director Mazharul Islam; director Qamrul Islam; deputy director Nayeb Ali Sharif; then prime minister's personal secretary-1 Mohammad Salahuddin and former state minister Sharif Ahmed.

 In the charge sheet, Joy was accused of not following the proper application process and receiving a plot despite already owning residential property in the city. 

The IO claims Joy leveraged his mother's influence to illegally acquire the plot, which was registered in his name.