A special court Thursday issued an arrest warrant against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed (Putul) and 16 others on a graft charge.
Judge of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka Md Zakir Hossain passed the order after taking the charge submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into cognizance in the corruption case.
The ACC filed the case against the high-ups of the toppled regime on a charge of receiving a 10-katha plot through "fraud" in Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Purbachal New Town Project.
ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, who appeared in the court for the anti-graft body, told the FE that the court set May 4 next for submitting police report of compliance with the warrant of arrest.
"If police cannot arrest them or if the accused don't surrender before the court by then, a gazette would be issued for their surrender. After these formalities the special court will assign the case to another competent court for its trial," also said the Public Prosecutor.
The co-accused in the case are Ministry of Housing and Public Works Administrative Officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Senior Assistant Secretary Purobi Goldar, Additional Secretary Qazi Wasi Uddin, Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker, former Rajuk Chairman's Personal Assistant Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former Rajuk Member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Kabir Al Asad and Tanmoy Das.
The list also includes Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (retd) Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Md Hafizur Rahman, Md Habibur Rahman (Sabuj), Sheikh Shahinul Islam, Md Nurul Islam, then Prime Minister's Personal Secretary-1 Mohammad Salahuddin and former State Minister Sharif Ahmed.
According to the charge sheet "Saima Wazed Putul, with malicious intent, illegally influenced her mother, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and filed an application to her mother rather than to RAJUK, violating the laws, rules, policies and legal procedures regarding the allocation of plots in the Purbachal New City Housing Project.
She had done that despite the fact that she and her family members owned a house or flat or housing facility in the area under the jurisdiction of RAJUK in Dhaka city."
The ACC filed the case on January 12, 2025 against 16 persons, including Sheikh Hasina and her daughter-both are reported to be in exile following the August-5th changeover last year. However, the organisation submitted the charge-sheet on March 10 this year adding names of two more accused, bringing the total number to 18.
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