Sheikh Hasina sentenced to 21 yrs imprisonment in 3 corruption cases over plot allocations
Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison, seven years in each of three separate corruption cases, related to the allocation of plots in Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha’s (RAJUK’s) Purbachal New Town Project.
Judge Md Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-5 delivered the verdict at around 11:45 am today, Thursday.
Arguments from both the prosecution and the defence concluded on 23 November, after which the court set the date for the verdict. The judgment was handed down accordingly today.
Across the three cases, the number of accused stands at 47, though the number of individual defendants is 23.
Aside 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 Anichur Rahman Miah; former member (development control) Shafi-ul-Haq; former member (estate and land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam; former member (planning) Mohammad Nasir Uddin; Major (Eng.) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury; former deputy director (estate and land–3) of RAJUK Nayeb Ali Sharif; administrative officer Saiful Islam Sarkar; additional secretary (administration) Kazi Wasee 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 private secretary Mohammad Salauddin.
Of all the accused, only Mohammad Khurshid Alam is currently under arrest.
Testimony in the three separate cases concluded on 17 November. Earlier, on 31 July, the court had framed charges and ordered the commencement of the trial.
In one case, 12 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, have been indicted. In another, 17 individuals have been charged, including Sheikh Hasina and Sajeeb Wazed Joy. In the third case, 18 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina and Saima Wazed Putul, are named as defendants.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed six separate cases in January over corruption involving the allocation of plots.
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 Azmina Siddiq, along with others, were made accused in the cases. Judgments in three of the six cases were delivered today.
On 17 November, in a separate crimes against humanity case, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death.
Another accused in that case, former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified as an approver, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.