Court asks to publish gazette asking Hasina, Putul to appear on June 17

A Dhaka court today directed the government to publish a gazette asking six people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, to appear before it on June 17 in two cases filed over irregularities in plot allocation in Purbachal New Town project.

Four others are Hasina's nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, son of Sheikh Rehana; Kazi Wasi Uddin, additional secretary (administration) of housing and public works ministry; Md Nasir Uddin, former member (planning) of Rajuk; and Mohammad Salahuddin, former personal secretary to former prime minister Hasina.

Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order after getting progress reports from Dhanmondi, Banani and Kafrul police stations in Dhaka and Kashiani Police Station in Gopalganj on execution of arrest warrants issued earlier against them.

If they fail to comply with the court order, the trial against them will continue in their absence, according to a staffer of the court.

The court again directed the officers-in-charge of eight police stations to submit the progress reports by June 17 on the execution of arrest warrants against Sheikh Rehana, her daughter Tulip Siddiq and 17 others in four other cases filed over irregularities in plot allocation in Purbachal project.

Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Rehana's daughter Azmina Siddiq are among the accused in the cases.

On April 13 and 15, the same court issued arrest warrants against Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, Tulip and others after accepting the charges brought against them in the cases.

On March 25, the ACC pressed charges against Hasina and others in these five cases.

The ACC officials have shown all the accused as fugitives, as they did not secure bail from any court in the country.

The ACC filed six cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of the six plots, each measuring 10 kathas, in the diplomatic zone of Sector-27 in the Purbachal project.

Hasina has been made a common accused in all the six cases filed in connection to the irregularities.