A Dhaka court on Thursday issued arrest warrants against 18 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed, in connection with a fraud case involving illegal acquisition of land in the RAJUK Purbachal New Town Project.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued the order after accepting the formal charges filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The court has also scheduled May 4 for submission of the investigation report.
The ACC had initially filed the case on January 12, 2025, naming 16 accused. The charge sheet, submitted on March 10, added two more individuals, bringing the total number of accused to 18.
According to the charge sheet, Saima Wazed allegedly misused her influence over her mother, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to bypass legal procedures and secure a 10-katha plot in Purbachal, despite already owning property within RAJUK’s jurisdiction in Dhaka. The ACC claims this violated established rules and policies for land allocation.
Among the others named in the case are high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, former RAJUK personnel, and government officers including Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, Purobi Goldar, Qazi Wasi Uddin, Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker, and Sharif Ahmed, a former state minister.
The investigation was led by ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya, who detailed the alleged irregularities in the charge sheet submitted to the court.
