Plot graft: Arrest warrants issued against Hasina, her son Joy

The same court had previously issued arrest warrants against Hasina and several members of her family in separate cases related to corruption tied to plot allocation

A Dhaka court has issued arrest warrants against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and 16 others in two cases case over corruption involving plot allocation in Dhaka’s Purbachal New Town Project.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Zakir Hossain Ghalib issued the warrants after reviewing the chargesheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday.

Arrest warrants have also been issued against Ministry of Housing and Public Works Administrative Officer Saiful Islam Sarkar, senior assistant secretary Purabi Goldar, Additional Secretary (Administration) Kazi Wasi Uddin and Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker, PAA of former RAJUK chairman Anisur Rahman Miah, former member (estate and land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Member (Development Control) Tanmoy Das, former member Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Member (Development) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Director Kamrul Islam, Assistant Director Mazharul Islam, Deputy Director Nayeb Ali Sharif, Director Nurul Islam, and former member Shafi ul Haque.

Hasina, Purabi, Anisur, Nasir, Shamsuddin, Nayeb Ali, Khurshid, Sharif, Shahid, Wasi, and Saiful are accused in both cases.

“The court has also set a date for Apr 28 for a report on whether the suspects had been arrested,” said Aminul Islam, assistant director of the ACC’s Prosecution Division.

On Apr 13, the same court had issued warrants for 53 people, including Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her daughters -- British MP Tulip Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq Ruponti – in several cases related to the Purbachal project. Before that, on Apr 10, it had issued warrants against Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and 16 others.

Tuesday’s hearing is the third of three hearings in six separate cases tied to the allocation of six 0.5-acre plots in the Purbachal area.

The ACC formally approved the chargesheets in connection with the six land allocation cases on Mar 10 and submitted them on Mar 24.

All six were filed at the Senior Special Judges' Court in Dhaka.

An ACC official said Awami League chief Hasina "abused her power" as prime minister to secure a plot for herself and her son Joy on Road No. 203 of the diplomatic zone of Sector No. 27 under the Purbachal New Town project.

After the anti-graft agency found evidence of irregularities in the plot allocation, they proceeded with the charges.

Before filing the cases against Hasina and Joy, the ACC lodged its first case on Jan 12 against former UK City minister Tulip over the abuse of power and irregularities regarding plot allocation.

On Jan 13, the graft watchdog filed another case against Rehana, her son Radwan, and her daughter Azmina.

Tulip, another of Rehana's daughters, was also implicated in the case against her family.

Key suspects include senior officials from the housing and public works ministry and RAJUK.

According to the First Information Reports (FIRs) of two cases, former prime minister Hasina concealed the fact that she and her family -- including her son, daughter, sister, and her sister's children -- already owned residential properties in Dhaka.

Despite this, she secured a plot in Purbachal, violating the allocation laws and regulations.

The ACC alleged that Hasina misused her authority by influencing officials from her office, the housing ministry, and RAJUK to facilitate the unlawful allocation of the plots.