On the fourth day, the court has recorded the testimonies of four more witnesses in three separate cases against ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq Rupanti, and other accused, regarding corruption allegations in plot allocations by the Capital Development Authority (RAJUK).
On Sunday, they testified in the court of Judge Md Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Fourth Special Judges Court. The court has set October 6 for the next hearing of testimonies.
The witnesses of the day were: Executive General Manager of Eastern Housing Limited Mohammad Farhaduzzaman, Assistant Executive Member Himel Chandra Das, Operator Sheikh Shamsher Ali, and Administrative Officer of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Akhtar Jahan. Since the accused in these cases are fugitives, the witnesses were not cross-examined.
On July 31, 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 three separate cases, Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina, and 17 others; Azmina Siddiq Rupanti, Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Sheikh Hasina, and 18 others; and Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Sheikh Hasina, and 18 others have been named as accused.
Other accused in the cases include Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby; Secretary of the National Housing and Public Works Ministry Shahidullah Khondkar; Additional Secretary (Administration) Kazi Wasi Uddin; Administrative Officer Saiful Islam Sarkar; Senior Assistant Secretary Purba Goldar; former Chairman of RAJUK Anisur Rahman Miah; former Member (Estate and Land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam; Member (Administration and Finance) Kabir Al Asad; Member (Development Control) Tonmoy Das; Member (Estate and Land) Nurul Islam; former Member (Planning) Mohammad Nasir Uddin; former Member Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury; Director (Estate and Land-2) Sheikh Shahinul Islam; Deputy Director Hafizur Rahman; Habibur Rahman; former State Minister Sharif Ahmed; and former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Salauddin.
In January, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed six separate cases regarding corruption in plot allocations. The accused 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 other daughter Azmina Siddiq, among others.
