Five more prosecution witnesses testified on Thursday in connection with three ongoing cases filed against 53 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots in the RAJUK Purbachal New Town Project.
The witnesses are-Delwar Hossain and Shafiqul Islam, office assistants of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Mohammad Lutfor Rahman, tax inspector of the National Board of Revenue (NBR); Rezaul Haq, stenographer and computer operator; and Abu Taher, notice server.
The five witnesses submitted their depositions at the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4. After their testimony, Judge Robiul Islam adjourned the hearing until 21 September.
Earlier, three officials of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had testified in the cases on 28 August. They are ACC Deputy Director Mahbubar Rahman and Assistant Directors Ashim Shil and Ullash Chowdhury.
On 13 August, the plaintiffs of these cases-ACC Deputy Director Salahuddin Ahmed and Assistant Directors Afnan Jannat Keya and SM Rashedul Hasan submitted statements against Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Siddiq, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq, and others.
On 11 August, the same three officials testified in three other identical cases against 47 people, including Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, before Dhaka Special Judge Court-5.
Seven seizure-list witnesses also testified in those cases on 26 August. Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 adjourned their hearings until 2 September.
Earlier, on 31 July, Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 framed charges in the three cases and issued arrest warrants as the accused remained absconding. On the same day, the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 framed charges in the other three related cases.
Previously, on 20 July, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib forwarded the cases to the trial courts after the accused repeatedly failed to appear. A gazette notification summoning 100 accused, including Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, and Sajeeb Wazed Joy, had been issued on 1 July.
The ACC filed the six cases between 12 and 14 January this year and submitted charge sheets on 10 March.
According to case details, ACC Deputy Director Salahuddin lodged a case on 14 January against eight people, including Sheikh Hasina, over a 10-katha Purbachal plot. The charge sheet was later named 12.
On the same day, ACC Assistant Director SM Rashedul Hasan filed another case against 15, including Hasina and Joy, with the charge sheet naming 17.
Salahuddin also filed two more cases on 13 January, one against 15 people, including Hasina, Rehana, Radwan Mujib, Tulip Siddiq, and Azmina Siddiq (charge sheet naming 17), and another against 16, including Hasina, Tulip, and Azmina (charge sheet naming 18).
Another case was filed that day against Radwan Mujib and 15 others, later charge-sheeted against 18.
On 12 January, ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya filed a case against 16 people, including Hasina and Saima Wazed Putul, with the charge sheet naming 18.
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