Arrest warrants issued for Hasina, Joy, 27 Others in RAJUK plot scam

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued the warrants after formally accepting charge sheets submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The court scheduled April 29 to receive reports on the execution of the arrest orders, according to ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir.

One case, filed on January 14 by ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin, accuses Sheikh Hasina and seven others of abusing power to unlawfully obtain a 10-katha plot in Purbachal. A charge sheet naming 12 people was submitted by ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya on March 10.

Besides Hasina, the accused include senior officials from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and RAJUK, including former Rajuk members, secretaries, and a former state minister.

“Sheikh Hasina did not submit any formal application for a plot. Her request was not recorded in the official register, nor did it meet RAJUK’s eligibility criteria,” stated the investigation officer. “Despite already owning property within RAJUK’s jurisdiction, she unlawfully secured the plot using her position.”

The second case, filed by ACC Assistant Director SM Rashedul Hasan, involves 17 individuals, including Hasina and her son Joy. The charge sheet, also submitted on March 10, accuses Joy of acquiring a 10-katha plot without submitting a formal application or meeting eligibility requirements.

“Joy misused his mother’s influence to obtain the plot, despite existing property ownership in Dhaka,” the investigation report said. “His application was neither submitted in the correct format nor recorded in RAJUK’s official registry.”

Other accused in both cases include senior government officials, former Rajuk members, and the former personal secretary to the prime minister.

The two high-profile cases mark a significant development in the ACC’s ongoing crackdown on corruption related to public housing projects.