Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Two Dhaka courts on Thursday indicted 100 individuals, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in six corruption cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the RAJUK Purbachal New Town Project. Arrest warrants were issued for all accused, who failed to appear before the courts.
The accused include Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana; her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy; daughter Saima Wazed Putul; niece British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq; and nephews Azmina Siddiq Rupu and Radwan Mujib Siddiq. Several former government and RAJUK officials have also been named.
Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-4 framed charges in three cases involving Hasina and 16 others, including Rehana, Azmina, and Radwan. Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Special Judge Court-5 framed charges in three more cases — one against Hasina and 12 others, another involving Joy, and a third naming Putul among the accused.
“Charges have been framed against all the accused in six cases. Arrest warrants have been issued. Testimony will begin on August 11 and 13,” said ACC public prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam. The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the six cases in January 2025, accusing the defendants of abusing power in securing government plots. Charge sheets were submitted on March 10.
Hasina ordered Helicopter gunfire during July uprising, ex-Bangladesh Police chief confesses
Bangladesh’s former police chief (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has told a Dhaka court that the decision to fire on civilians from helicopters during the July 2024 uprising was made at the highest political level—by then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a five-page confessional statement submitted on March 24 to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in connection with an International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) case, the former inspector general of police (IGP) revealed that “bullets were fired from helicopters at students and civilians,” a move he said was not ordered by the police but was “purely political.”
The helicopter assault was coordinated by RAB Director General Harun-or-Rashid and military officials, he said, adding: “Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal informed me that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had authorised the use of lethal force.”
According to Mamun, on July 18, 2024, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) openly ordered shooting with Chinese rifles. DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman and DB chief Harun were “extremely enthusiastic” about the violent suppression and worked closely with the home minister.