A court in Bangladesh has issued a fresh arrest warrant on Thursday for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wajed Putul, and 17 additional individuals in connection with a corruption case. They are accused of obtaining a residential plot through deceptive practices.
A Bangladeshi court has issued a new arrest warrant on Thursday for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wajed Putul, and 17 others in connection with a corruption case. They are accused of acquiring a residential plot through deceptive practices.
On the same day, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib approved the charge sheet presented by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Since the accused individuals are currently evading arrest, the court has authorized warrants for their apprehension.
“The warrant was issued by Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammad Zakir Hossain Galib following the acceptance of the ACC charge sheet in this matter,” stated Mir Ahammed Salam, the prosecutor for the statutory graft agency, to the media.
He noted that the judge has requested the ACC to provide its investigation report by May 4 to facilitate a hearing regarding the charges related to the leased land allocated by the state-run Rajdhani Unyan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) in the Purbachal area, located on the outskirts of Dhaka.
The ACC initiated the case against the ousted prime minister on January 12, 2025, along with several co-defendants, primarily government officials.
The charge sheet indicates that Putul improperly influenced her mother, then serving as prime minister, to secure the plot by applying directly to her rather than through RAJUK, thereby breaching laws, regulations, and procedures governing plot allocations in the Purbachal New City Housing Project.
The ACC claims that Putul acted in this manner despite her and her family already owning a residence within RAJUK’s jurisdiction in Dhaka.
Since November 1, 2023, Putul has held the position of South East Asian regional director for the World Health Organization (WHO) in New Delhi.
Additionally, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has previously issued two similar arrest warrants for Hasina, her political associates, and high-ranking civil and military officials on charges including crimes against humanity.
The warrant issued on Thursday followed closely on the heels of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) announcement of a new investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Taka 4,000 crore by Prime Minister Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and a former official in connection with the “Mujib Centenary” celebrations.
The ACC claims that this sum was drawn from the national treasury.
The investigation, which commenced in January of this year, is currently ongoing. “Our team is actively gathering information from various organizations,” he stated. In 2020, Bangladesh marked a year-long celebration in honor of the 100th birthday of the nation’s founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, during Hasina’s tenure in power.
Rehana did not occupy any official role in the previous administration, while the third individual under investigation by the ACC is Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, a former principal secretary who acted as the chief coordinator for the celebrations after his retirement.
Earlier this week, ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen remarked that there is no distinction between the former prime minister and an ordinary corrupt individual, asserting that “the process to apprehend a corrupt fugitive is identical, whether it involves Hasina or anyone else.”
Hasina faces multiple allegations, including mass murder, crimes against humanity, and enforced disappearances, with these cases being presented to Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal.
This tribunal was originally established to prosecute those who collaborated with Pakistani forces during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971, resulting in several convictions and executions after the appeals process was exhausted.
Hasina’s 16-year rule with the Awami League came to an end on August 5 of last year, following a violent student-led uprising. Since then, the 77-year-old has been residing in India after leaving Bangladesh discreetly.
To date, New Delhi has not responded to the interim government’s request for Hasina’s extradition made last year.
