Verdict in case against Hasina, Rehana and Tulip today

The verdict in the case filed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s daughter, British MP Tulip Siddique among 17 accused, over alleged corruption in plot allocation by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) in the Purbachal New Town Project, will be delivered today, Monday.

Judge Md Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-4 is scheduled to announce the verdict today. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on 13 January, naming Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Siddique among 17 as accused.

According to the ACC, using her influence as a Member of Parliament for the UK’s ruling Labour Party, Tulip Siddique secured plots in the Purbachal New Town Project in the names of her mother Sheikh Rehana, her sister Azmina Siddique and her brother Radwan Mujib. Each of the three received an allocation of 10 kathas of land.

However, the case mentions only Rehana receiving the plot allocation, which is why Azmina and Radwan were not made accused in this case. The ACC has named the two in separate cases.

Apart from Sheikh Hasina, Rehana and Tulip, the other 14 accused in the case are: former state minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed, former senior assistant secretary of Ministry of Housing and Public Works Purabi Goldar, former additional secretary Wali Ullah, former additional secretary (Administration) Kazi Wasi Uddin, administrative officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, former RAJUK chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former RAJUK members Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (Retd) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Tanmay Das, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Md Nurul Islam, former RAJUK assistant director Mazharul Islam, former RAJUK deputy director (Estate and Land-3) Naeb Ali Sharif, and former personal secretary-1 to the ousted prime minister Mohammad Salahuddin.

Following the fall of the Awami League government after the mass uprising, various allegations of corruption emerged against Sheikh Hasina and other members of her family. Tulip Siddique’s name also surfaced at one stage. Facing criticism after multiple corruption investigations began in Bangladesh, she resigned from her post as Economic Secretary to the UK Treasury on 14 January.