UK anti-corruption minister Tulip, family members sued in Bangladesh for 'corruption'
Other major accused include Sheikh Hasina, Tulip's mother Sheikh Rehana, brother Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and sister Azmina Siddiq
Highlights
- Tulip faces first criminal case in Bangladesh
- Also sued in three cases over Purbachal government plots
- Rehana, Bobby, and Azmina accused of acquiring three plots
- Hasina and family allegedly took possession of plots in 2022
British anti-graft minister Tulip Siddiq, along with her aunt Sheikh Hasina, mother Sheikh Rehana, brother Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and sister Azmina Siddiq, has been named in three separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for allegedly acquiring government plots in the Purbachal New Town Project from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) by abusing power.
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Officials of Rajuk and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works have also been accused in these cases, ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhtar Hossain said at a media briefing in Dhaka today (13 January).
Akhtar said they recommended filing the case against Tulip, a British MP and city minister, as the ACC's investigation team has found that she used her influence to illegally get plots allocated to her family members by manipulating her aunt Hasina's power.
This is the first time Tulip is named in a legal case in Bangladesh, at a time when she is embroiled in controversy and intense media spotlight in the UK for her alleged connections to properties linked to allies of her aunt deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In an interview with the Times on Thursday, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus called on Tulip to apologise for using properties given to her and her family by the Awami League regime, and said her London properties should be investigated and returned if she is found to have benefited from "plain robbery".
The Purbachal plots
Tulip, Bobby, and Azmina are accused of obtaining three plots, each 10 katha, on Road 203 in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 in the Purbachal New Town Project.
ACC official Akhtar further said, "In Rehana's case, 15 people have been named as accused, while 16 have been implicated in each case against Bobby and Azmina."
On Sunday, the anti-graft watchdog filed another case against Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and 14 others over allegations of illegally acquiring similar plots in the Purbachal Project. The 14 accused include 10 officials of Rajuk and four officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
Also Read: London flat that Tulip spent years living in was bought using an offshore company: Sunday Times
"Saima Wazed abused Hasina's power to take the allotment of Plot 017 on Road 203 under Sector 27 of Purbachal New Town Project, despite owning a house or flat or having housing facility within the jurisdiction of Rajuk in Dhaka city, in her or her family members' names," said Akhtar told the media on Sunday.
On 26 December last year, the ACC launched an inquiry against Hasina, Rehana, Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima, Bobby, Azmina, and officials of organisations involved over allegations of illegally acquiring 60 katha of government plots.
Talking to reporters that day, Akhtar said the Sheikh family members "secretly and illegally" acquired six 10-katha plots on Road 203 under Sector 27, which was in the proposed Diplomatic Zone in Purbachal.
"They obtained the allotment of the plots by abusing their power, through various irregularities, and in collusion with high-ranking officials at Rajuk," he told reporters.
Earlier, the High Court had formed a three-member committee to investigate irregularities in the allocation of the 60 kathas in plots.
Hasina and her family members took possession of the plots in 2022, after which the matter was classified as highly confidential.
According to the final allocation letter signed by Naib Ali Sharif, deputy director (estate and land-3) of Rajuk, the price was set at Tk3 lakh per katha, amounting to Tk30 lakh for each 10-katha plot.
Hasina was allocated Plot 9 on Road 203 of Sector 27. The allocation letter in her name was issued on 3 August 2022.
