The first case named eight suspects, including Sheikh Hasina while the second one named 15 people including Hasina and her son Joy
Published : 14 Jan 2025, 03:01 PM
The Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC has filed two more cases against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy over irregularities in the Purbachal New Town project’s plot allocation.
The commission filed the cases after it secured information on irregularities in the plot allocation during a primary investigation, ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhtar Hossain confirmed.
The first case named eight suspects including Sheikh Hasina while the second one named 15 people including Hasina and her son Joy.
The ACC said that while serving as the prime minister, the highest “public servant” post in the government, Hasina misused her power, did not pay applicable remuneration and grabbed plot No. 009 located around Road No. 203 of the diplomatic zone of Sector No. 27 under registration.
In addition, she made separate plot allocations for her children, sister, nephew and niece and registered the plots under their names, it said.
The suspects committed an offence by giving and receiving illegal gifts, breaking trusts and providing illegal favours. Hence, a case was filed against them under sections 161/409/ 420/ 109 of the Penal Code and Corruption Prevention Act 1947. The ACC alleges.
On Monday, the ACC had filed cases against Hasina, Joy, Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and niece Azmina Siddiq Ruponti
The case filed against Rehana also names 15 others including Hasina, Rehana’s daughter British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and officers from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha or RAJUK.
The cases against Bobby and Ruponti included 16 other suspects in each.
On Sunday, the ACC prosecuted Hasina and her daughter Putul for “hiding information and abusing authority” to allocate plots in Purbachal.
The Awami League government, led by Hasina, was ousted during a mass uprising on Aug 5, 2024. On the same day, she fled to India, and the rest of her family has since remained outside the country.
Subsequently, on Dec 26, 2024, the ACC launched an investigation into allegations of irregularities and corruption involving the allocation of six plots in the Purbachal New Town project. The plots were reportedly allocated in the names of the former prime minister and five members of her family.
The plots, located around Road No. 203 of the diplomatic zone of Sector No. 27, were allocated to Hasina, her son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, her daughter Putul, her younger sister Rehana, and two children Bobby and Ruponti.
According to the documents reviewed by the ACC, Hasina was granted a 10-katha (plot no. 009) on Aug 3, 2022, with the allotment letter issued in her name by RAJUK.
Similarly, her son Joy (plot no. 015), and daughter Putul (plot no. 017) received 10-katha each.
Joy’s allotment letter was issued on Oct 24, 2022, with the ownership finalised on Nov 10, 2024. Meanwhile, Putul’s allocation was confirmed on Nov 2, 2024.
Rehana secured 10-katha (plot no. 013), while her children, Bobby (plot no. 011) and Ruponti (plot no. 019) were also allocated 10-katha each.
The allegations came under heightened scrutiny last year when the High Court formed a three-member committee to examine potential irregularities in the allocation of Purbachal plots to Hasina and six members of her family.
The committee was also tasked with investigating broader allegations of irregularities in RAJUK plot allocations spanning the Awami League’s tenure from 2009 to 2024.