On the sixth day of three separate cases involving allegations of corruption in plot allocation by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) against ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq Rupanti, and others accused, three more witnesses have given their testimony.
On Thursday, these witnesses gave their statements in the court of Judge Md Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Fourth Special Judge Court. However, since the accused in these cases are fugitives, they could not cross-examine the witnesses.
The court has set the next date for testimony on 30 October. Today’s witnesses were: Reshma, cashier and computer office assistant of the Municipal Tax Branch; Dewan Md Saeed, revenue supervisor of the Dhaka South City Corporation Municipal Tax Branch; and Tayeba Rahim, cashier, accounts keeper, and senior assistant of the Municipal Tax Branch. ACC Prosecutor Khan Md Moinul Hasan (Lipon) confirmed the matter.
On 31 July, the court ordered the start of the trial after framing charges in these cases. As the accused were fugitives during the charge framing hearing, arrest warrants were issued against them. In the first case, there are 17 accused including Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, and Sheikh Hasina; in the second, there are 18 accused including Azmina Siddiq Rupanti, Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and Sheikh Hasina; and in the third, there are 18 accused including Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and Sheikh Hasina have been made defendants.
Other accused in the cases include Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, the Secretary of the National Housing and Public Works Ministry Shahid Ullah Khandaker, Additional Secretary (Admin) Kazi Wasi Uddin, Administrative Officer Saiful Islam Sarkar, Senior Assistant Secretary Purbi Goldar, former RAJUK Chairman Anisur Rahman Miah, former Member (Estate & Land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Member (Admin & Finance) Kabir Al Asad, Member (Development Control) Tanmoy Das, Member (Estate & Land) Nurul Islam, former Member (Planning) Mohammad Nasir Uddin, former Member Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Director (Estate & Land-2) Sheikh Shahinul Islam, Deputy Director Hafizur Rahman, Habibur Rahman, former State Minister Sharif Ahmed, and the former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Salauddin.
The ACC filed six separate cases in January regarding the allegations of corruption in plot allocation. The accused in the cases include former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s daughter and British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, son Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and daughter Azmina Siddiq, among many others.
