Arrest warrants against Bangladesh former PM Sheikh Hasina, son and 16 others

DHAKA: A Bangladesh court Tuesday issued arrest warrants against former PM Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and 16 others for alleged irregularities in allocation of govt plots.

The arrest orders came after the court accepted charges in two of six corruption cases filed by anti-corruption commission (ACC).

The court has instructed police across multiple jurisdictions in Dhaka and other districts to report back on the execution of the warrants by April 29.

ACC has filed a total of six cases alleging irregular allocation of six plots, each 10 cottahs in size, in the diplomatic zone of Sector-27 in the Purbachal New Town project.

According to ACC documents, Hasina, in collusion with senior officials, facilitated the illegal allotment of plots to herself and several family members, including her son Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana's children - Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Azmina Siddiq, and UK lawmaker Tulip Siddiq.

The accused have been shown as "fugitives" in all cases.

In a separate development, ACC filed a separate case against Tulip, alleging she illegally received a luxury flat in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan area from a real estate developer. On April 10 and April 13, arrest warrants were issued in four other cases tied to the same Purbachal plot allocation scandal. Hasina has now been made a common accused in all six cases filed by ACC.