A Dhaka court on Thursday sentenced deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three cases filed over corruption in securing plots in Rajuk’s Purbachal New Town Project.
Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 announced the judgement around 11:40am.
While delivering the verdict, the judge said a total of 21 years’ imprisonment was handed down — seven years in each of the three cases. Each sentence will begin after the completion of the previous one.
“The plot was allotted to Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded legally authorised jurisdiction,” the court observed.
The court also sentenced Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, to five years in prison each in the cases. Joy was additionally fined Tk1 lakh.
The three convicts are absconding now.
Mohammad Khurshid Alam, a former member of Rajuk (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha), was produced by the Anti-Corruption Commission before the court in the morning. He received one year in jail.
Among the accused, only Saiful Islam Sarker, an administrative officer at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, was acquitted in all three cases.
Meanwhile, additional police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed in Dhaka’s lower court area ahead of the verdict.
Patrols and surveillance have also been stepped up in key locations.
On 23 November, the court set 27 November as the date for announcing the verdict after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence.
Earlier, on 17 November, the court completed recording testimonies in the cases. Of the three cases, one lists 12 accused, another 17, and the third 18. Several of the accused have been named in all three.
In addition, three other cases against Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq and daughter Azmina Siddiq are pending at Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-4. Hasina and Tulip Siddiq have also been named accused in these cases.
According to the charge sheets in the Purbachal plot corruption cases, Hasina and her relatives abused their entrusted powers while occupying the highest office of the government. Despite being ineligible, they allegedly secured six plots each measuring 10 kathas on Road 203 in Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project, with dishonest intent.
Under Rajuk regulations, only those who do not own any land, house or car in Dhaka are eligible to apply for plot allocation. However, the charge sheets state that Hasina’s family submitted false affidavits to Rajuk, claiming they owned no land or property in the capital.
The ACC alleges that they used their influence to obtain 60 kathas of land from Rajuk, which constitutes a criminal offence.
The ACC filed the cases in January this year over the alleged irregularities in the plot allocations.
On 31 July, two Dhaka special judge courts framed charges against 23 people including members of the families of Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana in these cases.
Among the other notable accused are: Shahid Ullah Khandaker, secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Kazi Wasi Uddin, additional secretary (administristration); Saiful Islam Sarker, administrative officer; senior assistant secretary Purabi Goldar; former Rajuk chairman Anisur Rahman Mia; former Rajuk member (estate and land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam; member (administration and finance) Kabir Al Asad; member (development control) Tanmoy 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 prime minister’s principal secretary Salauddin.
