Arrest warrants Hasina, Putul, and 16 others in Purbachal graft case

Six cases have been filed against Hasina and members of her family for “misusing their power and through irregularities” to get plot allocations in the Purbachal New Town Project

A Dhaka court has issued arrest warrants against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and 16 others in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over corruption in Purbachal plot allocation.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Ghalib took cognisance of the chargesheet submitted by the ACC and issued the warrants on Thursday.

The other accused in the case are Ministry of Housing and Public Works Administrative Officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Senior Assistant Secretary Purabi Goldar, Additional Secretary (Administration) Kazi Wasi Uddin, Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker, former chairman of RAJUK (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, or Capital Development Authority) Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former RAJUK members (estate and land) Md Khurshid Alam, member (administration and finance) Kabir Al Asad, member (development control) Tanmay Das, former member (planning) Md Nasir Uddin, retired former member (development) Maj (engineer) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, former member (estate and land) Md Nurul Islam, Deputy Director (Estate and Land) Md Hafizur Rahman, Deputy Director (Estate and Land) Habibur Rahman, and Director (Estate and Land) Sheikh Shahinul Islam.

Aminul Islam, assistant director of the ACC Prosecution Division, said after the court hearing: “The court accepted the chargesheet against 18 suspects. It then issued arrest warrants for the suspects as they are absconding. The court then set May 4 for a report on the execution of the warrant.”

Six cases have been filed against Hasina and members of her family for “misusing their power and through irregularities” receiving plot allocations for the RAJUK Purbachal New Town Project.

Previously, arrest warrants had been issued against Hasina in three cases at the International Crimes Tribunal. This is the first to be issued against her in a corruption case.

The Hasina-led Awami League government was toppled by a student-led mass movement on Aug 5, 2024. That day Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana fled the country to India. Other members of her family were abroad at the time.

In December, the ACC launched an investigation into allegations of irregularities and corruption against them in the allocation of six plots under the Purbachal New Town Project. Six cases were eventually filed over the allegations, with the one involving Putul being filed on Jan 12.

The case, registered as Case No. 39 in the ACC's integrated district Dhaka-1 office, claims that a plot was allotted to Putul through what the ACC described as “concealment of information and abuse of power”.

The anti-graft watchdog's Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya said the case was initiated under Sections 161, 163, 164, 409, and 109 of the Penal Code, 1860, along with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

According to the case statement, Putul herself or other members of her family already owned a house, flat, or other housing facility in the RAJUK area of Dhaka city. The statement alleges that Putul “concealed” this information to secure the allocation of a plot in Purbachal New Town, another RAJUK project.

The case further alleges that Hasina, while holding the highest office in the government, influenced and abused her power over the officials responsible for the allocation. It also alleges that the plot was allocated in Putul's name to benefit the accused and others through collusion, with bribery being an additional charge in the case.

The ACC has also submitted chargesheets in the five other cases involving Hasina’s family. The indictment hearings for two are scheduled for Apr 13, and the hearings for the remaining three are set for Apr 15.

Hasina is accused in all six cases. Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, sister Rehana, niece and British MP Tulip Siddiq, niece Azmina Siddiq Ruponti and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby are also among the suspects.