A Dhaka court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants against 29 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, in two separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over scam in allocating plots in Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Purbachal New Town Project, reports BSS.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib passed the orders, accepting the formal charges filed in the cases.
The court also set April 29 for submitting reports on the execution of the orders to arrest the accused in the cases, ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir told the media.
ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin filed one case against eight, including Sheikh Hasina, on January 14 for abusing power in allocating a 10-katha plot in the Purbachal New Town Project. Investigation officer and ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya on March 10 filed the charge sheet against a total of 12.
Apart from Sheikh Hasina, the other 11 accused in the case were Ministry of Housing and Public Works Senior Assistant Secretary Purobi Goldar, Administrative Officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, former Rajuk chairman's personal assistant Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former Rajuk members Shafi Ul Haque, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (retd) Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Deputy Director Nayeb Ali Sharif, Secretaries Qazi Wasi Uddin and Shahid Ullah Khandaker, and former state minister Sharif Ahmed.
"Sheikh Hasina did not file any application in the designated form of the RAJUK. No application of hers was considered eligible primarily by the RAJUK review committee after necessary scrutiny," investigation officer (IO) Afnan Jannat Keya mentioned in the charge-sheet.
"Her application was not even included in the designated registrar book of the applicants. Even though she and her family members owned a house or flat or housing facility in the area under the jurisdiction of RAJUK in Dhaka city, accused Sheikh Hasina, with malicious intent, violated the laws, rules, policies and legal procedures regarding the allocation of plots in the Purbachal New City Housing Project and took the allocation of a 10-katha plot, made the registration under her name and kept it under her possession," she said.
Meanwhile, ACC Assistant Director SM Rashedul Hasan filed the other case against 15, including Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, in this connection. He filed the charge sheet against 17 on March 10.
Apart from Sheikh Hasina and Joy, the other 15 accused in the case were Ministry of Housing and Public Works Senior Assistant Secretary Purobi Goldar, Administrative officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Secretaries Qazi Wasi Uddin and Shahid Ullah Khandaker, former Rajuk chairman's personal assistant Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former Rajuk members Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Tanmay Das, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (retd) Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, and Md Nurul Islam, Assistant Director Mazharul Islam, Director Qamrul Islam, Deputy Director Nayeb Ali Sharif, then prime minister's personal secretary-1 Mohammad Salahuddin and former state minister Sharif Ahmed.
The IO in his charge sheet accused Joy of not filing any application in the designated form of the RAJUK.
"His application was not even included in the designated registrar book of the applicants. Even though he and his family members owned a house or flat or housing facility in the area under the jurisdiction of RAJUK in Dhaka city, accused Sajeeb Wazed Joy, with malicious intent, violated the laws, rules, policies and legal procedures regarding the allocation of plots in the Purbachal New City Housing Project and took the allocation of a 10-katha plot by misusing his mother's power, made the registration under his name and kept it under her possession", the charge sheet added.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
