The Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 on Monday recorded the depositions of the plaintiffs of three corruption cases against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul and several other government officials for their alleged involvement in corruption in allotting Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha鈥檚 land plots at the Purbachal New Town project area.
Judge Md Abdullah Al Mamun of the court recorded the testimonies of the plaintiffs, Anti-Corruption Commission deputy director Md Salahuddin, and assistant directors Afnan Jannat Keya and SM Rashedul Hasan, on the first day of recording the testimonies of prosecution witnesses in the cases.
Hasina is accused in all three cases and Sajeeb and Saima are accused in one case each.
In their statements, the three ACC officials described the allegations brought in the cases against Hasina, Sajeeb, Saima, and other government officials.
The court also set August 26 for the next hearing in the cases, said ACC public prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam.
One of these cases was lodged against 12 accused including Sheikh Hasina, another against 17 accused including Hasina and her son Sajeeb, and the other against 18 accused including Hasina and her daughter Saima.
On July 31, the court framed charges against Hasina, Sajeeb, Saima and other accused in the cases filed in January.
On the same day, judge Md Robiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 also framed charges in the other three cases filed against Hasina and several other people.
In one of these cases, there are 17 accused including Sheikh Rehana, her daughter Tulip Siddiq, and Sheikh Hasina.
In another case, the 18 accused include Azmina Siddiq, Tulip, and Hasina, and the other case against another 18 accused include Rehana鈥檚 son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Tulip, and Hasina.
The court fixed August 13 to begin recording depositions of prosecution witnesses in the three cases.
On March 10, the ACC approved charge sheets against 29 people including Hasina in the six cases.
The other accused are housing and public works ministry鈥檚聽former state minister Sharif Ahmed, Hasina鈥檚 former personal secretary Salahuddin, the ministry鈥檚 former secretary Mohammad Shahid Ullah Khandakar, additional secretary Kazi Wachi Uddin, additional secretary Md Waliullah, administrative officer Mohammad Saiful Islam Sarker, and senior assistant secretary Purbhi Goldar, Rajuk鈥檚 former chair Mohammad Anisur Rahman Miah, former member Mohammad Khurshed Alam, member Kabir Al Asad, member Tanmoy Das, member Mohammad Nurul Islam, former member Mohammad Nasir Uddin, retired member Major Samsuddin Ahmad Chowdhury, former member Shofiul Haque, director Sheikh Shahinul Islam, director Kamrul Islam, deputy directors Mohammad Hafizur Rahman and Habibur Rahman, former deputy director Nayeb Ali Sharif, and assistant directors Faria Sultana and Mazharul Islam.
According to the charge sheets, Hasina, in collusion with top officials of Rajuk and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, facilitated the allocation of the six plots 鈥� each of 10 kathas 鈥� in her and family members鈥� names through irregularities and corruption and abusing power during her tenure as the prime minister.
Earlier, in January, the ACC filed the six cases with its Dhaka-1 integrated district office against
Hasina, Rehana and their five children over irregularities in the allotment of six plots on Road 203 in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project.