Court sets Feb 2 for verdict against Hasina, others

A special court yesterday set February 2 for delivering the verdict in a corruption case filed against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 17 others over alleged irregularities in plot allocation at Dhaka’s Purbachal.

The other accused include Hasina’s niece, British MP Tulip Siddiq, and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby. 

Judge Md Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court-4 fixed the date after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, said Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam.

Earlier, on January 13, the same court also fixed February 2 for delivering the verdict in another corruption case against Hasina and 17 others, including her nieces Tulip and Azmina Siddiq.

Between November 27 and December 1 last year, Hasina, 78, was sentenced to a total of 26 years’ rigorous imprisonment in four separate corruption cases. Her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and sister Sheikh Rehana were also convicted in one case each.

The ACC earlier filed six cases between January 12 -14 last year with its Dhaka Integrated District Office-1, alleging irregularities in the allocation of plots in the Purbachal New Town project.

According to the ACC, Hasina, in collusion with senior officials of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), unlawfully secured six plots, each measuring 10 kathas, in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the project for herself and her family members, despite their ineligibility under existing regulations.

The beneficiaries named in the cases include Hasina, Putul, Joy, Rehana, Bobby and Azmina.

On March 25 last year, the anti-graft body submitted six charge sheets to the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court in Dhaka, naming Hasina as a common accused in all cases.

On July 31, charges were framed against 29 people, including Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, Bobby, Tulip and Azmina, in their respective cases.