Graft cases against Hasina, Tulip

Four more prosecution witnesses yesterday testified in three graft cases filed against 23 people, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and niece British MP Tulip Siddiq.

The witnesses are Mohammad Forhaduzzaman, Sheikh Shamsher Ali, Himel Chandra Das, and Akter Jahan.

Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge's Court-4 in Dhaka recorded their statements from 11:16am to 12:26pm, said ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam. Earlier, 11 witnesses had given their statements in the same three cases.

The anti-graft body lodged six cases with its Dhaka Integrated District Office-1 between January 12 and 14 over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town project.

The Anti Corruption Commission alleged that Hasina, in collusion with senior Rajuk officials, unlawfully secured six plots -- each measuring 10 kathas -- in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project for herself, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy; Rehana and her son Radwan; and her daughter Azmina.