The verdict in a corruption case filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, her niece Tulip Siddiq, and 18 others over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) will be delivered on February 2.
After hearing arguments on Sunday, Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court-4 fixed the date for delivering the verdict, confirmed Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Public Prosecutor Hafizur Rahman Hafiz.
During the hearing, Advocate Hafizur Rahman presented arguments on behalf of the ACC and said the prosecution was seeking life imprisonment as the maximum punishment for the accused. Advocate Shahinur Islam, appearing for Khurshid Alam—the only accused currently in jail—argued that the ACC failed to prove the allegations and sought his acquittal.
After hearing both sides, the court set February 2 for the verdict.
Following the change of power on August 5 last year, allegations of corruption and irregularities during the Awami League government came to light. In this context, the ACC filed six cases in January last year over the allocation of a 60-katha plot in Rajuk’s Purbachal New Town project.
Besides Sheikh Hasina, the accused in the cases include her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, niece and British MP Tulip Siddiq, Azmina Siddique Ruponti and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby.
So far, verdicts have been delivered in four cases involving Sheikh Hasina—three exclusively against her and one involving Sheikh Rehana and Tulip Siddiq. Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to a total of 26 years’ imprisonment in those cases, while Joy and Putul received five years each. Sheikh Rehana was sentenced to seven years and Tulip Siddiq to two years.
In the present case, testimony from 18 witnesses, including Ruponti, concluded on January 13.
Statements of a total of 28 witnesses were recorded against the 18 accused, including Bobby. During the defence hearing, Khurshid Alam pleaded innocence, while the remaining accused could not place self-defence statements as they remain absconding.
The case was filed on January 13 last year by the ACC’s Integrated District Office-1 against 16 people, with Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby named as the principal accused, over alleged corruption in the allocation of a 10-katha plot in Purbachal. Following the investigation, a chargesheet was submitted against 18 accused on March 24, just over two months after the case was filed.