Hasina, Joy, Putul convicted for corruption in plot allotment; how many years each
Prison sentences have been passed down to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul in three separate corruption cases concerning corruption in plot allocations by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakhya (RAJUK) in Dhaka’s Purbachal New Town Project.
In three separate cases, Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to seven years in each, totalling 21 years in prison.
In one case, Sajeeb Wazed Joy has been sentenced to five years in prison, along with a fine of Tk 100,000.
In another case, Saima Wazed Putul has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Judge Md Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court No. 5 delivered the verdict in the afternoon today, Thursday.
Deliberations of the prosecution and the defence concluded on 23 November. The court then set 27 November as the date for delivering the verdict and accordingly, the verdict was delivered today.
In the three separate cases, the total number of accused is 47, but the number of individuals is 23.
Apart from Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Saima Wazed Putul, the remaining 20 accused are former state minister for housing and public works Sharif Ahmed, former senior assistant secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Purabi Goldar, former RAJUK chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former member (Development Control) Shafiul Haque, former member (Estate and Land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam, former member (Planning) Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (Engineering) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, former RAJUK deputy director (Estate and Land-3) Nayeb Ali Sharif, administrative officer Saiful Islam Sarkar, additional secretary (Administration) Kazi Wasi Uddin, former secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Shahid Ullah Khandaker, member (Administration and Finance) Kabir Al Asad, member (Development Control) Tanmoy Das, member (Estate and Land) Md Nurul Islam, former member (Planning) Mohammad Nasir Uddin, director (Estate and Land-2) Sheikh Shahinul Islam, director (Estate and Land-3) Md Kamrul Islam, deputy director Md Hafizur Rahman, deputy director Habibur Rahman, and former prime minister’s personal secretary Mohammad Salauddin.
Only one of the accused, Saiful Islam Sarkar, an administrative officer at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, has been acquitted in all three cases.
Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused who was in custody, has been sentenced to one year in each of the three cases, totalling three years in prison.
On 17 November, deposition in the three separate cases was completed. Earlier, on 31 July, the court framed charges against the accused and ordered the start of the trial.
There are 12 accused on one case, including Sheikh Hasina. In another case, there are 17 accused, including Sheikh Hasina and Sajeeb Wazed Joy. In the remaining case, there are 18 accused, including Sheikh Hasina and Saima Wazed Putul.
In January, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed six separate cases over allegations of corruption in plot allocations. In these cases, Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed Putul, Sheikh Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s daughter and British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq, her daughter Azmyna Siddiq, and others were named as accused. Verdicts in three of these six cases were delivered today.
On 17 November, in a crimes against humanity case, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death. Another accused in the case, former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, an approver or state witness, was sentenced to five years in prison.