Testimonies have concluded in the corruption case involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 11 others over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots in Purbachal New Town Project. The court has set November 17 as the date for the defendants to present their statements in self-defense.
The order was issued on Monday by Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-5.
During the hearing, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director and Investigation Officer Afnan Jannat was cross-examined by defense lawyer Shahinur Rahman, representing accused Khurshid Alam. With the cross-examination completed, the court scheduled the next phase for self-defense statements.
According to ACC Public Prosecutor Shamsuddin Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, testimonies have been completed in the cases against Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul. The investigation officer in Putul’s case has also been partially cross-examined.
Khurshid Alam is the only arrested accused in these three cases, and his lawyer was allowed to cross-examine witnesses. The other defendants, including Sheikh Hasina and her family members, remain absconding, and thus were not entitled to cross-examination under the law. The court fixed November 17 for further hearings in Joy’s and Putul’s cases.
Court sources said 28 witnesses have testified in Joy’s case and 22 in Putul’s case.
The ACC began its investigation in December last year into the alleged illegal allocation of plots to Sheikh Hasina and her family in Purbachal New Town. The inquiry found that six plots—each measuring 10 kathas—were allocated in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 under the names of Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed, Saima Wazed, Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s children.
In January, the ACC filed six separate cases in connection with the alleged corruption. The accused include Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed (Putul), sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s children—British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and Azmyna Siddiq—among others. The ACC approved the charge sheets for all cases on March 10.
The charge sheets state that Sheikh Hasina and her family abused their power while in office to obtain the plots unlawfully, despite being ineligible for such allocations.
Formal charges were framed on July 31, marking the start of the trial. In three other related cases against Sheikh Rehana and her children, 36 witnesses have testified so far. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is listed as an accused in all of these cases.
