‘Illegal’ plot allocation: Court seeks probe report by April 10

A Dhaka court today asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit by April 10 the probe report against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed and 14 others in a case filed over irregularities in allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town project.

Judge Md Zakir Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court set the date after the ACC placed the case before it for the next course of action.

On January 12, ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya filed the case with its Dhaka Integrated District Office against Hasina and others.

According to the case statement, Saima Wazed, the prime accused, concealed information about ownership of housing or apartments by her and her family members within the jurisdiction of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and abused Hasina’s (second accused) authority as a public servant by influencing and colluding with 14 public officials involved in the allocation process to secure Plot-017 on Road-203 in Sector-27 of the Purbachal project despite her ineligibility.

Fourteen other individuals have also been named as accused in the case. They are: Saiful Islam Sarkar, administrative officer, Purabi Goldar, senior assistant secretary, Kazi Wazi Uddin, additional secretary (administration), and Shahid Ullah Khandaker, secretary of housing and public works ministry; RAJUK officials, including Anisur Rahman Mia, former chairman, Md Khurshid Alam, member (estate and land), Kabir Al Asad, member (administration and finance), Tanmoy Das, member (development and control), Md Nasir Uddin, former member (planning), Major (engr.) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury (retd.), former member (development), Hafizur Rahman, deputy director (estate and land-3), Habibur Rahman, deputy director (estate and land-3), Sheikh Shahinul Islam, director (estate and land-2), and Md Nurul Islam, member (estate and land).

According to the ACC documents, Hasina, in collusion with senior Rajuk officials, had six plots of land allotted to herself, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed, younger sister Sheikh Rehana, her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and her daughter Azmina Siddiq, in violation of existing regulation.

The six plots, each measuring 10 kathas, are in the diplomatic zone of Sector-27 in the Purbachal New Town project.

On December 17, 2024, the ACC launched a probe into allegations of embezzlement totalling Tk 80,000 crore against Hasina and her family members from nine projects, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

On December 22, 2024, the commission also launched an investigation against Hasina and Joy over allegations of laundering $300 million to the United States.