Purbachal plot graft: Arrest warrants issued against Hasina, Putul

A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against 18 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, on charges of irregularities in plot allocation in Purbachal New Town.

Judge Md Zakir Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order after taking cognisance of the charges.

The judge directed the officers-in-charge of over a dozen police stations in Dhaka and other parts of the country to submit progress reports on the execution of the arrest warrants by May 4.

On March 25, Anti-Corruption Commission Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya, also the investigation officer in the case, submitted the charge sheet against the 18 accused, showing them as fugitives. She appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants against them as they had not been granted bail by any court.

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

The ACC filed six separate cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of the six plots, each measuring 10 kathas, in the diplomatic zone of Sector-27 in the Purbachal New Town project.

The case against Hasina, Putul and 16 others were filed with the ACC's Dhaka Integrated District Office on January 12.

According to the case statement, Putul, the prime accused, concealed information about her and her family's ownership of the housing or apartments within the jurisdiction of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).

The 16 others accused in the case are Saiful Islam Sarkar, administrative officer; Purabi Goldar, senior assistant secretary; Kazi Wasi Uddin, additional secretary (administration); and Shahid Ullah Khandaker, secretary of housing and public works ministry; and Rajuk officials 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 (retd) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, former member (development); Md Hafizur Rahman, deputy director (estate and land-3); Md Habibur Rahman, deputy director (estate and land-3); Sheikh Shahinul Islam, director (estate and land-2); and Md Nurul Islam, member (estate and land); Mohammad Salahuddin, former personal secretary to the ousted prime minister; and Sharif Ahmed, former state minister for housing and public works.

The ACC also pressed charges in the five other graft cases involving the allocation of the plots.

Joy, Rehana and her children Tulip Siddiq, Radwan Mujib and Azmina were made accused in the charge sheets of these cases.

The court is scheduled to take cognisance of the charges in three of the cases on April 13 and two others on April 15.a