A Dhaka court on Sunday directed the government to publish a gazette notification summoning six individuals—including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul—to appear before the court on June 17 in connection with two corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in plot allocation in the Purbachal New Town Project.
The other four accused are Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, nephew of Hasina and son of Sheikh Rehana; Kazi Wasi Uddin, Additional Secretary (Administration), Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Md Nasir Uddin, former Member (Planning), RAJUK; Mohammad Salahuddin, former Personal Secretary to Sheikh Hasina.
Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court issued the order after receiving progress reports on the execution of arrest warrants from police stations in Dhanmondi, Banani, Kafrul (Dhaka) and Kashiani (Gopalganj).
If they fail to comply with the court order by June 17, the trial will proceed in absentia.
In addition, the court instructed the officers-in-charge of eight other police stations to submit reports by the same date on the execution of arrest warrants against Sheikh Rehana, her daughter Tulip Siddiq, and 17 others, including Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Azmina Siddiq, in four other related cases. Theseorders stem from six cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the irregular allocation of six 10-katha plots in Sector-27’s diplomatic zone of the Purbachal project. Sheikh Hasina has been named a common accused in all six cases.
On March 25, the ACC submitted charge sheets against the accused, identifying them as fugitives, as none had secured bail. Arrest warrants were issued on April 13 and 15 after the court accepted the charges.
