Bangladesh Court Issued Arrest Warrant Against Sheikh Hasina, Daughter in Land Scam
Dhaka: A court in Bangladesh has issued a fresh arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wajed Putul, and 17 others over allegations of corruption related to land procurement.
The arrest order was handed down on Thursday by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammad Zakir Hossain Galib, who accepted a charge sheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). All accused, including the former premier and her daughter, are reportedly in hiding, prompting the court to issue warrants for their arrest.
According to ACC prosecutor Mir Ahammed Salam, the case revolves around a residential plot in the Purbachal area on the outskirts of Dhaka, leased by the state-run Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK). The commission claims that Putul leveraged her mother’s position as Prime Minister to obtain the plot through unlawful means, bypassing official RAJUK procedures.
The ACC originally filed the case on January 12, 2025, naming several other co-accused, mainly former government officials. The commission alleges that Putul manipulated the system to have the plot application addressed directly to Hasina rather than RAJUK, a violation of established rules and regulations. Furthermore, the ACC asserts that Putul and her family already owned property within the jurisdiction of RAJUK, making her ineligible for the new allocation.
Putul currently holds a prominent role as the South East Asia Regional Director at the World Health Organization (WHO), based in New Delhi since November 2023.
This latest warrant adds to a series of legal challenges facing Hasina. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal had previously issued similar arrest orders against her and several political and military associates, accusing them of crimes against humanity and enforced disappearances.
The timing of Thursday’s warrant is notable, coming just one day after the ACC revealed it had launched a new investigation into the alleged misuse of Taka 4,000 crore by Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and former principal secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury. The funds were reportedly spent during the “Mujib Centenary” celebrations marking the 100th birth anniversary of Bangladesh’s founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The ACC emphasized that the investigation, initiated in January 2025, is still in progress, with data being collected from various sources. Chowdhury, who retired as a principal secretary, coordinated the centenary event post-retirement.
Commenting on the broader crackdown, ACC chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen earlier remarked that “there is no difference between a former premier and any other corrupt person,” stating that the same legal procedures apply to all.
Hasina also faces multiple other charges, including mass killings and enforced disappearances, which are being pursued by Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal—originally established to try collaborators of the Pakistan Army from the 1971 Liberation War.
(With PTI Inputs)