A Dhaka court today ordered officers-in-charge of 16 police stations, including Dhanmondi Model Police Station, to submit by May 12 the progress reports regarding the execution of arrest warrants issued against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and 21 others in connection with irregularities in plot allocations at Purbachal New Town.
Among the 21 others are Rehana’s daughters, Tulip Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and her son, Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby.
Judge Md Zakir Hossain of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court issued the directive after police failed to submit the progress reports today, according to a court staffer.
Earlier, on April 13, the court accepted the charges and issued arrest warrants against Hasina and the others in three cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The ACC has classified all 23 accused as fugitives, noting that none of them secured bail from any court in Bangladesh.
The court had previously ordered the officers-in-charge of various police stations across Dhaka and other regions to submit progress reports by today regarding the implementation of the arrest warrants.
On March 25, the ACC formally pressed charges against the 23 individuals in three separate cases. Charges were also pressed the same day in three additional cases related to similar allegations.
The six cases involve allegations of illegal allocation of six plots—each measuring 10 kathas—in the diplomatic zone of Sector-27 of the Purbachal New Town project.
Sheikh Hasina has been named as a common accused in all six cases related to these alleged irregularities.
According to ACC documents, Hasina, in collaboration with senior officials of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), unlawfully arranged the allotment of six plots in favor of herself, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, her sister Rehana, Rehana’s son Radwan, and Rehana’s daughters Tulip and Azmina.
Additionally, on April 10, the same court issued arrest warrants against 18 individuals, including Hasina and her daughter Putul, in one of the cases.
Later, on April 15, the court again issued arrest warrants against Hasina, Joy, and 16 others after accepting charges in two other plot allocation cases.
The other accused include Saiful Islam Sarkar (administrative officer), Purabi Goldar (senior assistant secretary), Kazi Wasi Uddin and Md Oliullah (additional secretaries, administration), Shahid Ullah Khandaker (housing and public works secretary), and several former and current Rajuk officials: Anisur Rahman Mia (former chairman), Md Khurshid Alam (member, estate and land), Tanmoy Das (member, development and control), Md Nasir Uddin (former member, planning), Major (retd) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury (former member, development), Md Mazharul Islam and Faria Sultana (assistant directors, estate and land-3), Nayeb Ali Sharif and Kamrul Islam (deputy directors, estate and land-3), Sheikh Shahinul Islam (director, estate and land-2), and Md Nurul Islam (member, estate and land).
Additionally named are Mohammad Salahuddin (former personal secretary to Sheikh Hasina) and Sharif Ahmed (former state minister for housing and public works).