Two separate courts in Dhaka today framed charges in six cases filed against 100 people, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, over irregularities in the allocation of plots in the RAJUK Purbachal New Town Project.
At Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, Judge Rabiul Alam framed charges in three cases. One case involves 17 people, including Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, another against 18 people, including Sheikh Hasina and Azmina Siddiq, and a third against Sheikh Hasina and Radwan Mujib Siddiq , reports state-run BSS news agency.
The court set August 13 as the date to begin recording testimonies in these cases and issued arrest warrants for the accused.
Meanwhile, at Dhaka Special Judge Court-5, Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun framed charges in three separate cases. The first case involves 12 people, including Sheikh Hasina, the second involves 17 people, including Sheikh Hasina and Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and the third involves 18 people, including Sheikh Hasina and Saima Wazed Putul.
Arrest warrants were also issued for these accused individuals, who are still at large.
The court has set August 11 for testimony recording in these cases, according to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) public prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam.
The charge hearings today followed an order issued on July 22 by the two courts, which had set today’s date for framing charges. The cases were forwarded to the Special Judge Court on July 20 by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib, after the accused failed to appear before the court as instructed.
On July 1, the court had ordered the publication of a gazette notification summoning 100 people, including Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. The ACC had filed the six cases between January 12 and January 14, 2025, and charge sheets were submitted on March 10.
The ACC had filed one case on January 14, 2025, against eight individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, for abusing power in allocating a 10-katha plot in the Purbachal New Town Project. A charge sheet was later submitted against 12 people. Other cases followed the same pattern, with charge sheets submitted for each case as the investigations progressed.
The anti-graft body also filed additional cases against various individuals, including members of the Hasina family, accusing them of using their positions to illegally secure plots in the project.