A Dhaka court on Tuesday (June 17) directed the government to issue a gazette notification summoning 12 individuals, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her niece British MP Tulip Siddiq, to appear before it on July 1 in connection with a case over alleged irregularities in plot allocation under the Purbachal New Town project.
The order came after police submitted reports on previously issued arrest warrants in the case, said court sources.
The list of accused also includes Sheikh Rehana's other daughter Azmina Siddiq, and several current and former officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
The nine others are Saiful Islam Sarkar,Md Oliullah, Purabi Goldar, Kazi Wasi Uddin, Anisur Rahman Mia, Md Khurshid Alam, Tanmoy Das, Md Nasir Uddin, and Maj (retd) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury.
Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued the directive after receiving police reports on earlier arrest warrants.
If the accused do not appear, the trial will proceed in their absence, according to the judge.
The same court also asked eight police stations to report on the execution of arrest warrants against Sheikh Rehana, Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, Rehana's son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and 21 others in five related cases by July 1.
Earlier on April 10, 13 and 15, the same court issued arrest warrants against 27 people, including Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Saima, Tulip, Azmina and Radwan after taking cognisance of the charges brought against them in six cases.
On March 25, the ACC submitted six charge sheets against Hasina and others in six cases. Hasina is a common accused in all six cases.
The ACC has listed all accused as fugitives.
On January 12, the ACC filed the cases 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 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 a plot in the Purbachal project despite her ineligibility.
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 the 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.
