The Dhaka Special Judges Court-4 on Tuesday set December 1 to deliver its verdict in a case filed against 17 people, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and niece Tulip Siddiq, who is also a British lawmaker, for their alleged involvement in corruption in allotting a 10-katha land plot for Rehana in the Purbachal New Town Project area in the capital.
Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the court set the date after hearing the arguments from both prosecution and defence , the court鈥檚 bench officer Belal Hossain said.
This is one of the six cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission with its Integrated District Office in Dhaka-1 between January 12 and January 14 this year over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots in favour of Sheikh Hasina and five of her close relatives in the Purbachal New Town project. Hasina is a common accused in all six cases.
The five relatives for whom the plots were allocated are Hasina鈥檚 son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul,聽sister Sheikh Rehana, nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq and niece Azmina Siddiq 聽聽
Earlier on November 23, the Dhaka Special Judge鈥檚 Court-5 set November 27 to deliver its verdicts in three other graft cases, out if the six plot scam cases, filed against 23 people, including Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
Apart from this, the trial of two other graft cases filed against 21 people, including Hasina, her nieces Azmina Siddiq and Tulip, and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, is now pending with the Special Judge鈥檚 Court-4.
The ACC alleged that Hasina, in collusion with senior Rajuk officials, unlawfully secured six plots,聽each 10-katha plot, in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project for herself, Saima, Sajeeb, 聽Rehana, Radwan and Azmina despite their ineligibility under existing regulations.
On July 31, the court framed charges against 29 people, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her son and daughter in the three cases.
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.
The same day, the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 also framed charges in the three other cases filed against Hasina and others.
In one of those 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, while the other case against another 18 accused involves Rehana鈥檚 son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Tulip, and Hasina among the accused.
On March 25, the ACC submitted six charge sheets to the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge鈥檚 Court.