A Bangladesh court has issued new arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wajed Putul, and 17 others in connection with a corruption case.
The charges accuse them of acquiring a residential plot fraudulently.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib accepted the charge sheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and issued the arrest warrants as the accused individuals are reportedly absconding.
The case, filed by the ACC on January 12, 2025, claims that Putul influenced her mother, the then-Prime Minister, to secure a plot in the Purbachal New City Housing Project in violation of established legal procedures.
The ACC has alleged that Putul acted inappropriately, despite already owning property in the jurisdiction of the state-run Rajdhani Unyan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).
Putul, who currently serves as the South East Asian Regional Director for the World Health Organization (WHO), has been accused of leveraging her position for personal gain.
This comes amid an ongoing inquiry into the alleged misuse of government funds amounting to Taka 4,000 crore during the 2020 “Mujib Centenary” celebrations, which Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana are also involved in.
Previously, Hasina and other officials faced charges of crimes against humanity, with arrest warrants issued by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal.
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However, Thursday’s court action follows a separate investigation into alleged corruption during Hasina’s regime, which ended following a violent mass uprising in August 2024.
Since then, Hasina has been living in India, and Bangladesh’s interim government is seeking her extradition, though India has yet to respond to the request.
