Mohammad Khurshid Alam, former member (estate and land) of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), surrendered in a case against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her family over corruption in plot allocations.
He appeared before Judge Md Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka’s 5th Special Judge Court on Wednesday through his lawyer and sought bail. The court, however, rejected his bail plea and ordered him to be sent to jail.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor Khan Md Moinul Hasan said that he is the first accused who surrendered in this case, while the rest of the defendants remain at large.
On the same day, three prosecution witnesses testified before the court — Zahirul Islam, joint secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Afnan Jannat Keya, the investigating officer in the case against Saima Wazed Putul; and Salahuddin Ahmed, the ACC officer who investigated the allegations against Sheikh Hasina.
On 31 July, the court framed charges in these cases and ordered the trial to begin. Since the accused were absconding at the time of the charge-framing hearing, arrest warrants were issued against them.
In three separate cases, 17 persons including Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, and Sheikh Hasina were named in one case; 18 individuals including Azmina Siddique Ruponti and Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and Sheikh Hasina in another; and 18 in a third case including Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and Sheikh Hasina.
On 20 July, three cases each from Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 and Special Judge Court-5, a total of six cases were sent for trial.
Other accused include Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Shahid Ulla Khandaker, secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Additional Secretary (Administration) Kazi Wasi Uddin, administrative officer Saiful Islam Sarkar, Senior Assistant Secretary Purabi Goldar, former RAJUK chair Anisur Rahman Miah, former members Mohammad Khurshid Alam and Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Kabir Al Asad (Administration & Finance), Tanmoy Das (Development Control), Nurul Islam (Estate & Land), Mohammad Nasir Uddin (Planning), Director (Estate & Land-2) Sheikh Shahinul Islam, Deputy Directors Hafizur Rahman and Habibur Rahman, former State Minister Sharif Ahmed, and former prime minister’s private secretary Mohammad Salahuddin.
The ACC filed six separate cases in January over corruption in plot allocations. Among the accused are Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s daughter and former British member of parliament Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, son Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and another daughter Azmina Siddique Ruponti, along with several others. Recently, charge sheets were submitted to the court in all cases. Since the accused remain absconding, arrest warrants have been issued against them.
