A Dhaka court has set November 27 for delivering the verdicts in three separate corruption cases filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy over alleged irregularities in the allocation of government land in the Purbachal New City project.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun fixed the date on Sunday.
Arguments in the case against Sheikh Hasina and 12 others concluded earlier in the day. The court had originally scheduled November 23 for arguments. Joy and Putul have also been asked to present their defence in two related cases on the same date.
On November 17, Judge Abdullah Al Mamun questioned ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya, the investigation officer, before fixing the schedule, ACC Public Prosecutor Abul Kalam Azad told reporters.
The only accused to surrender in the case, former Rajuk member Khurshid Alam, was present in court. He said he would not present any defence witnesses and reiterated his innocence. He is also the only accused currently in custody.
On July 31, charges were framed in six separate cases against Sheikh Hasina and members of Sheikh Rehana’s family, marking the formal start of trial proceedings.
The ACC filed the cases in January last year, alleging that Sheikh Hasina and her family members, with the help of senior Rajuk officials, unlawfully obtained six 10-katha plots in Sector 27’s diplomatic zone despite being ineligible.
The anti-graft agency submitted charge sheets in all six cases on March 25. A total of 29 accused were indicted on July 31 and declared absconders.
Separately, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 has set November 25 for closing arguments in another ACC case against Sheikh Rehana and 17 others over the allocation of a 30-katha plot in Purbachal. ACC Prosecutor Tariqul Islam confirmed the schedule.
Trials are also underway in a similar case against Rehana’s children, Radwan Mujib Siddique (Bobby) and Azmina Siddique. Although a date had been set to record the investigation officer’s testimony in Azmina’s case, the hearing did not take place. Khurshid Alam was also produced from jail for these proceedings.
The ACC began investigating allegations of plot allocations to Sheikh Hasina and her family members on December 26 last year. Chargesheets were later filed accusing the former prime minister and her relatives — including Joy, Putul, Sheikh Rehana, British MP Tulip Siddique, Radwan Mujib, and Azmina Siddique — of abusing state power to secure a total of 60 kathas of land in Purbachal.
The cases allege that the plots were obtained through misuse of authority and procedural irregularities while the accused held top government positions.