Gazette Summons Hasina, 99 Others in Purbachal Cases

Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, sister Sheikh Rehana and son Sajib Wazed Joy.

A gazette notification has been published summoning former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 99 others to appear before court in connection with six corruption cases related to the Purbachal land allotment scam.

Signed by Senior Special Judge of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court Zakir Hossain Galib, the gazette was issued on July 3. It directs the accused to appear before the court by July 20. If they fail to do so, the trial will proceed in their absence.

According to the Public Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the trial court had ordered the publication of the gazette on July 1 to notify the accused of their court appearance.

The ACC filed six separate cases between January 12 and 14 this year, alleging that multiple individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, son Sajib Wazed Joy, niece Tulip Rizwana Siddique, and other family members, illegally received 10-katha plots in the Purbachal New Town Project through abuse of power and corruption.

Charge sheets for all six cases were submitted to the court on March 10, listing a total of 18 accused in each case. The cases collectively implicate various family members including Radwan Mujib Siddique, Azmina Siddique, and Saima Wazed Putul.

Each case centres on the alleged misuse of authority and fraudulent allocation of land plots. The ACC has named a total of 16 individuals as prosecution witnesses.

The trial is set to commence after July 20 if the summoned individuals fail to appear before the court.