Purbachal plot scam: Hasina given 10 years, Tulip 4

A special court yesterday sentenced deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years’ imprisonment and her niece, British MP Tulip Siddiq, to four years in two cases involving the Purbachal plot scam in Dhaka.

Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka also handed down seven-year prison terms to Hasina’s other niece Azmina Siddiq and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, each in one of the two cases, said ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam.

The verdicts were delivered in absentia, and trials in each of the two cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) were completed within 15 hearings, according to court records.

The court found Hasina guilty of abusing her power to illegally secure two plots under a Rajuk housing project in Dhaka’s Purbachal for Azmina and Bobby, despite the duo being ineligible.

Tulip, the MP for Hampstead and Highgate in London, was found guilty of influencing Hasina to secure the plots for her siblings, Azmina and Bobby -- an allegation she had earlier rejected.

Hasina and Tulip were also fined Tk 2 lakhs each in two cases with an additional one-year imprisonment in the event of default, while Azmina and Bobby were fined Tk one lakh in a case, defaulting which they will have to serve six months more in jail.

Between November 27 and December 1 last year, Hasina, now in India, was sentenced to 26 years’ rigorous imprisonment in four other cases involving the plot scam. Her daughter Saima Wazed Putul and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and sister Sheikh Rehana and Tulip were also convicted in one of four cases each.

From January 12 to 14 last year, the ACC filed all six cases with its Dhaka Integrated District Office-1 over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town project, where Hasina was named as a common accused.

The anti-graft body alleged that Hasina, in collusion with senior Rajuk officials, unlawfully secured six plots, each measuring 10 kathas, in the diplomatic zone (Sector 27) of the Purbachal New Town project for herself, Putul, Joy, Rehana, Azmina and Bobby, despite their ineligibility under existing regulations.

On July 31 last year, charges were framed against 29 people, including Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, Bobby, Tulip and Azmina, in their respective cases.

Yesterday’s rulings follow a series of legal blows for Hasina.

On November 17 last year, she was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 for crimes against humanity committed during the 2024 July uprising. 

Ousted on August 5, 2024, amid a student-led mass movement, she remains accused in over 550 cases nationwide, excluding the corruption charges.

OTHER CONVICTS

Apart from Hasina and her three family members, 18 others were also convicted yesterday under section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for committing criminal misconduct while allotting plots for Azmina and Bobby.

Of the 18, the court sentenced the 11 accused to 10 years’ imprisonment and fined Tk 2 lakhs each in two cases, with an additional one-year imprisonment in the event of default.

The 11 include former housing and public works state minister Sharif Ahmed, former secretary Kazi Washi Uddin, former administrative officer Saiful Islam Sarkar and former senior assistant secretary Purabi Goldar; Rajuk’s former chairman Anisur Rahman Miah, former members Tanmoy Das, Mohammad Nasir Uddin and Shamsuddin Ahmod Chowdhury, former deputy director Nayeb Ali Sharif and former assistant director Mazharul Islam, and the Prime Minister’s Office’s former secretary Mohammad Salahuddin.

In addition, former housing and public works secretary Shahid Ullah Khandaker, former additional secretary Md Oliullah, Rajuk’s former member Nurul Islam, incumbent director Kamrul Islam, former director Sheikh Shahinul Islam and former assistant director Faria Sultana were jailed for five years in one of the two cases.

The court also fined them Tk 1 lakh each; in default, they will have to serve six more months in jail.

Only Rajuk’s former member Mohammad Khurshid Alam was present at the packed courtroom during the verdicts. He was sentenced to two years in jail in two cases and fined Tk 2 lakhs; defaulting, he will have to serve one year’s imprisonment.

His lawyer, Mohammad Shaheenoor Islam, said that they would challenge the judgements at the higher court.