A Dhaka court has issued warrants for the arrest of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and 16 others in a case concerning irregularities in plot allocations by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order after accepting the chargesheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Aminul Islam, assistant director of the anti-graft watchdog, told journalists that the court also set 4 May for filing an updated report on the execution of the arrest warrants.
The ACC filed the case against the accused on 12 January – nearly six months after the prime minister’s ouster amid a student-led uprising in August last year.
The other accused include Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, administrative officer at the housing and public works ministry, Senior Assistant Secretary Purbi Goldar, Additional Secretary Kazi Wasi Uddin, Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker, and former personal assistant to the Rajuk chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah.
Former Rajuk members Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Kabir Al Asad, Tanmoy Das, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, retired Major Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Md Nurul Islam, Director Sheikh Shahinul Islam, Deputy Directors Md Hafizur Rahman, Habibur Rahman, Mohammad Salah Uddin, and Sharif Ahmed also face arrest warrants.
According to the case statement, Saima – who is Director of WHO’s South-East Asia Regional Office – concealed the fact that she and her family members already owned properties, including houses or flats, within areas under Rajuk’s jurisdiction, such as the Dhanmondi residential area in the capital.
Despite this, she allegedly abused the influence of her mother to secure a plot in the Purbachal New Town Housing Project, violating relevant laws, regulations, and procedures.
Sheikh Hasina – also president of the Awami League and currently residing in India since fleeing the country in August last year – abused her power and breached public trust by influencing officials responsible for the allocation process during her tenure as prime minister, according to the statement.
Through collusion, the accused unlawfully facilitated the allocation of Plot No. 17 on Road No. 203 in Sector 27 of Purbachal to Saima, despite her ineligibility and failure to pay the legally required fees.
Saima later took physical possession of the plot and had it registered under her name.
Following an investigation, the Anti-Corruption Commission submitted the chargesheet on 10 March against the 18 accused.