A Dhaka court on Thursday (November 27) sentenced deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 21 years in jail in three cases for taking allocation of 30 kathas of government lands at Purbachal New Town Project illegally and through misuse of power.
Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, of the Special Judge's Court-5 of Dhaka, pronounced the verdicts in three seperate cases being appeared at the court at 11:23am.
While delivering judgements, the judge remarked: "Sheikh Hasina has greed for wealth. If she didn't want allocation of plots, she could refuse it throwing away the documents. She could refuse accepting the plots. She had legal adviser and law minister. She could refuse allocation of plots through them. But, instead of doing it, she took allocation of plots at Purbachal [New Town Project of Rajuk]. Therefore, Rajuk, Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Sheikh Hasina adopted the paths of fraud and deception."
In the cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putu were jailed for five years each in one of the three cases. Other accused were also given different jail terms.
The anti-graft body -- between January 12 to 14 -- lodged six separate cases with its Dhaka Integrated District Office-1 over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town project.
In January last, the ACC filed six seperate cases on charges of illegal allocation of government lands in Purbachal New Town Project. Then on July 31, charges were framed against the accused in three cases. It was mentioned in the chargesheets that abusing the government powers, Sheikh Hasina and her family members illegally secured the allocation of six plots --each measuring 10 kathas-- on Road No. 203 under the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 for herself, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul; sister Sheikh Rehana and her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and daughter Azmina Siddiq, despite their ineligibility under existing regulations.
Besides, Mohammad Salahudidn, former personal secretary of the prime minister, tried to evade punishment through destroying or concealing a file.
END/ZAK
