Court orders seizure of assets owned by five members of Hasina’s family

A Dhaka court has ordered the attachment of properties and land owned by five members of the family of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Senior Metropolitan Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib issued the order following a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), according to the agency's spokesman Akhtarul Islam.

Among the seized properties is a house in Gulshan’s Baridhara area worth Tk 49.8 million, owned by Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed Putul.

The court also ordered the seizure of 87.70 decimals of land in Khulna's Digholia, worth Tk 6.187 million, registered in the names of Hasina's children -- Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Putul -- and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana.

Rehana’s children, Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and Azmira Siddiq, also own another 87.70 decimals of land in the same location worth around Tk 4.1 million, which has been seized as well.

Another 19 decimals of land in Gopalganj's Tungipara under Rehana’s name, valued at Tk 2.05 million, has also been seized.

The ACC petition noted that Putul was attempting to transfer or dispose of the immovable assets. If this occurred before the case’s disposal, it could jeopardise the ongoing investigation, according to the graftbusters.

“To ensure a fair investigation, it is necessary to freeze ownership and prevent the transfer or disposal of the immovable properties until the inquiry is complete,” the petition read.

Earlier on Tuesday, the same court ordered the seizure of a flat in Gulshan worth Tk 5.7 million belonging to Putul.

On Mar 11, the court had ordered the seizure of the "Sudha Sadan" residence in Dhanmondi, registered under Joy and Putul’s names.

That same order also included the seizure of homes, plots, and eight flats registered under Rehana, Radwan and his sister and British MP Tulip Siddiq. The total market value of these assets was estimated at Tk 85.2 million. In addition, 124 bank accounts belonging to Hasina and her affiliates were frozen.

On Mar 4, the court had ordered the freezing of 14 bank accounts belonging to Putul’s organisation, the Shuchona Foundation.

On Mar 18, the court ordered the freezing of 31 bank accounts in the names of Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, and their associates. These accounts contained a total of Tk 3.94 billion.

Then on Apr 9, the court froze additional accounts containing Tk 161.25 million belonging to Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, and their associates.