A Dhaka court has said there is no legal barrier to trying former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq, regardless of where they live.
Judge Md Rabiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court 4 made the observation on Monday while delivering the verdict in a Rajuk plot-allocation corruption case involving the Purbachal New City project.
The court said Sheikh Hasina influenced officials to secure plot allocations for herself and her family members by using false affidavits, concealing information and forging documents. It also said Sheikh Rehana and Tulip Siddiq obtained plots by influencing Hasina despite already having housing facilities.
Only one of the 17 accused — former Rajuk member Khurshid Alam — was present in court. The rest have been absconding.
The court noted that notices were published in newspapers and gazettes on several occasions, and therefore, “there is no scope to claim the accused were prevented from appearing.”
The court further observed that Tulip Siddiq “influenced the process from abroad through various social media apps” and that officials prepared files violating rules.
In the verdict, Sheikh Rehana was sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk1 lakh. Tulip Siddiq received two separate terms of rigorous imprisonment. Sheikh Hasina and several other accused were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and fined Tk1 lakh.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on January 13, alleging that Tulip Siddiq used her influence as a UK Labour Party MP to secure Purbachal plots in the names of her mother Sheikh Rehana, sister Azmina Siddiq and brother Radwan Mujib — each receiving 10 kathas.
This case, however, concerns only Rehana’s plot; Azmina and Radwan have been charged in two separate cases.
There are 17 accused in total.
On November 27, the same court sentenced Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three separate plot-allocation corruption cases, while other accused received varying sentences.
