Witness testimonies conclude on Hasina in graft case
Staff Reporter :
In a major development, the testimony of 54 witnesses has been completed in three corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and other members of their family over the alleged misuse of power to illegally obtain government plots in Dhaka’s Purbachal New Town Project.
The cases also name Sheikh Rehana’s children — Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Azmiana Siddiq, and Radwan Mujib Siddiq — among the accused.
According to court records, testimonies were completed as follows:
In the case against Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, testimony from 19 witnesses out of a total of 26 listed has been recorded.
In the second case against Azmiana Siddiq and Sheikh Hasina, 16 witnesses out of 22 have testified.
In the third case against Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Sheikh Hasina, 19 witnesses out of 28 have completed their testimony. On Thursday (30 October), Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 was scheduled to continue witness hearings in the three separate cases. However, the prosecution requested additional time to present the remaining witnesses.
The court granted the request and set 2 November as the next date for further proceedings, confirmed court official Belal Uddin to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). The ACC filed the cases on 13 January against Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, and their close associates for allegedly abusing state power and influencing officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) to illegally secure 30 kathas of government land in Purbachal New Town.
The cases were later investigated, and charge sheets were submitted on 10 March by the respective investigation officers, who found sufficient evidence of financial irregularities and misuse of authority.
Case 1: Sheikh Rehana and 16 Others.
The first case was filed by ACC Deputy Director Salah Uddin against Sheikh Rehana, accusing her of obtaining a 10-katha plot in the Purbachal project through abuse of official influence.
The case also names Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina, and 15 others. Following investigation, the ACC added two more suspects, bringing the total to 17 accused.
Other accused include several former and serving government officials, such as:
Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Administrative Officer, Housing and Public Works Ministry Purbi Goldar, Senior Assistant Secretary ,Ali Ullah, Additional Secretary ,Kazi Wasi Uddin, Secretary ,Md Anisur Rahman Miah, ,former Personal Assistant to the RAJUK Chairman ,Mohammad Khurshid Alam, former RAJUK member
Major (Engr.) Samsuddin Ahmad Chowdhury (Retd).
Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Tanmay Das, Md Nurul Islam, Mazharul Islam, Nayeb Ali Sharif, among others
Later added: Mohammad Salah Uddin, former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Sharif Ahmed, former State Minister for Housing and Public Works.
Case 2: Azmiana Siddiq and 17 Others
The second case was filed by ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya against Azmiana Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina, and 16 others, also for allegedly securing 10 kathas of government land in Purbachal under similar irregularities.
After investigation, a charge sheet was filed against 18 accused, including:
Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina, Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Purbi Goldar, Ali Ullah, Kazi Wasi Uddin, Md Anisur Rahman Miah, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Tanmay Das, Md Nasir Uddin, Major (Engr.)
Samsuddin Ahmad Chowdhury (Retd), Md Nurul Islam, Mazharul Islam, Kamarul Islam, Nayeb Ali Sharif, Mohammad Salah Uddin, and Sharif Ahmed.
Case 3: Radwan Mujib Siddiq and 17 Others
The third case was lodged by ACC Assistant Director S.M. Rashedul Hasan against Radwan Mujib Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina, and 16 others on the same allegations. After the probe, the number of accused rose to 18.
The other defendants in this case include:
Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Purbi Goldar, Ali Ullah, Kazi Wasi Uddin, Shahid Ullah Khondaker, Md Anisur Rahman Miah, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Tanmay Das, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Major (Engr.) Samsuddin Ahmad Chowdhury (Retd), Mazharul Islam, Faria Sultana, Nayeb Ali Sharif, Sheikh Shahidul Islam, Mohammad Salah Uddin, and Sharif Ahmed.
Trial Status
On 31 July, Judge Rabiul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 formally framed charges against the accused in all three cases, paving the way for the trial to begin.
The court proceedings have now entered the final phase of witness testimonies, after which the cross-examinations and closing arguments will follow.
According to the ACC, the accused used their positions and political influence to acquire valuable government plots under false declarations and manipulated documents, violating public procurement and land allocation rules.
The alleged irregularities caused a significant loss to the government while giving undue advantage to individuals connected to the former Prime Minister’s family.
Legal experts have called the Purbachal cases a key test of accountability for high-profile corruption in Bangladesh’s land and housing sector, as the trials involve members of the country’s most influential political family.
The next hearing is scheduled for 2 November, when the prosecution will likely present final evidence before the court proceeds to the next stage of the trial.