Five more prosecution witnesses gave testimony on the fourth day of hearings against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Shiekh Rehana and other accused in three separate cases filed over the allocation of plots by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).
The testimonies were recorded on Wednesday before Judge Md Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5.
However, due to the absence of the accused who remain fugitives, the witnesses could not be cross-examined. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 30.
The witnesses included Riad Mahmud, senior officer of Sonali Bank; Mohammad Osman Gani, personal officer at the Chief Advisor’s Office; Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Zakir Hossain; Mithun Chandra Bala, registrar of Dhaka South City Corporation; and Nahid Hossain, also a registrar of Dhaka South City Corporation.
Confirming the proceedings, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor Khan Md Moinul Hasan said the court had summoned five witnesses, all of whom appeared and testified.
On July 31, the court framed charges and ordered the commencement of the trial in these cases over alleged irregularities in RAJUK plot allocations. During the charge framing, arrest warrants were issued against the accused due to their absence in court.
The three separate cases name a total of 53 individuals as accused, including Sheikh Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Rehana’s daughter; Sheikh Hasina’s children, and several senior officials and former members of RAJUK.
On July 20, Dhaka Special Judge Courts-4 and 5 transferred six cases to their respective benches for trial.
Other accused include Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Sheikh Rehana’s son; Shahid Ulla Khandakar, secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Kazi Washi Uddin, additional secretary, and former RAJUK officials including Anisur Rahman Miah, Khurshid Alam, Kabir Al Asad, Tanmoy Das, Nurul Islam, Nasir Uddin, Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Sheikh Shahinul Islam, Hafizur Rahman, Habibur Rahman, former State Minister Sharif Ahmed, and former personal secretary to the ousted prime minister Salauddin.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed six separate cases in January over allegations of corruption in plot allocations.
The accused, including Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed Putul, Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Raduan Mujib Siddiq, and Azmina Siddiq, have all been named in these cases. Charge sheets for all cases have recently been submitted to the courts. Arrest warrants remain active against those who have not appeared.
