Zakir Hossain From Dhaka
A Dhaka court has issued arrest warrants against ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and 16 others in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged irregularities in plot allocation by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Dhaka’s urban development authority.
On Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib accepted the charge sheet submitted by the ACC and issued the arrest warrants as the accused were absconding. The 16 others named in the warrant include: Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Administrative Officer at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Senior Assistant Secretary Purabi Goldar; Additional Secretary Kazi Wasi Uddin; Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker; former PA to the Rajuk Chairman Md Anichur Rahman Miah; former Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam; Kabir Al Asad; Tanmoy Das; Mohammad Nasir Uddin; Major (Engr.) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury (Retd.); Md Nurul Islam; Director Sheikh Shahinul Islam; Deputy Director Md Hafizur Rahman; Habibur Rahman; Mohammad Salah Uddin; and Sharif Ahmed.
ACC assistant director Aminul Islam confirmed, “The court has accepted the charge sheet against 18 accused. As they are absconding, the court has issued arrest warrants against them.
The date of submission of the report regarding the execution of the arrest warrants has been set for May 4.” The case was filed on January 12 by ACC assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya. As per the First Information Report (FIR), Saima Wazed Putul concealed the fact that she and her family already owned a residence in Dhanmondi, under Rajuk’s jurisdiction, and unlawfully obtained a plot in the Purbachal New Town Housing Project.
The FIR states that Putul allegedly abused the power of her mother, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to illegally obtain the plot located in Sector 27, Road 203, Plot 17 of the Purbachal project, despite being ineligible. The plot was received with full registration and possession. The accused are charged with fraudulent transactions, abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and illegal favoritism, violating the Penal Code and Anti-Corruption Act. The charge sheet was submitted on March 10 after investigation identified two additional accused.