In the ongoing corruption cases concerning alleged irregularities in the allocation of residential plots by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), six more witnesses testified on Tuesday against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, members of her family, and other accused individuals. The testimonies were recorded on the third day of hearings in three separate cases.

The trial is being conducted at the Special Judge’s Court No. 5 in Dhaka, presided over by Judge Md. Abdullah Al Mamun. The witnesses, summoned earlier by the court, gave their depositions in the absence of the accused, who remain fugitive. Because of this, no cross-examinations were carried out. The court fixed September 17 as the date for the next hearing and continuation of witness testimony.

Those who appeared before the court on Tuesday include Gautam Kumar Sikder, Senior Principal Officer of Sonali Bank’s Ganabhaban branch; Md. Shariful Islam, Principal Officer of the same branch; Mohammad Lutfar Rahman, Senior Assistant of the Tax Circle; Md. Rezaul Haque, Computer Operator of the Tax Circle; Md. Abu Taher, Notice Server of the Tax Circle; and Delwar Hossain, Office Assistant at the Tax Circle.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor Khan Md. Moinul Hasan Lipon confirmed the developments, stating that the court had earlier issued summons for these six individuals, and they appeared and testified as instructed.

On July 31, the court framed charges against Sheikh Hasina and others in the three cases and ordered the commencement of trials. At the time, the accused were already absconding, prompting the court to issue arrest warrants against them.

According to case records, the three corruption cases each list Sheikh Hasina as a principal accused alongside her family members. One case involves 17 defendants, including Sheikh Rehana, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, and Sheikh Hasina herself. Another case names 18 defendants, including Azmina Siddiq Ruponti, Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and Sheikh Hasina. The third case also includes 18 accused, among them Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and Sheikh Hasina.

Earlier, on July 20, the Special Judge’s Court-4 and Special Judge’s Court-5 in Dhaka received six separate cases, filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in January, for trial proceedings.

Besides Sheikh Hasina and her close relatives, the list of accused includes high-ranking government officials and RAJUK executives. Among them are Shahid Ullah Khandaker, former Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Kazi Wasi Uddin, Additional Secretary (Administration); Saiful Islam Sarkar, Administrative Officer; Purabi Goldar, Senior Assistant Secretary; and several former officials of RAJUK, including former Chairman Anisur Rahman Miah. Other accused RAJUK officials include former Member (Estate and Land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Member (Development Control) Tanmoy Das, Member (Administration and Finance) Kabir Al Asad, Member (Estate and Land) Nurul Islam, former Member (Planning) Mohammad Nasir Uddin, former Member Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, and Sheikh Shahinul Islam, former Director of Estate and Land-2. Additional officials named are Deputy Directors Hafizur Rahman and Habibur Rahman. Former State Minister Sharif Ahmed and Sheikh Hasina’s former Personal Secretary Salauddin have also been indicted.

The ACC filed six separate cases in January this year in connection with allegations of corruption in the allocation of residential plots by RAJUK. The cases name Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, her daughter Saima Wazed (Putul), her sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s daughter and British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq, her daughter Azmina Siddiq, and several others as defendants. The charges claim that the accused abused their positions of power and influence to unlawfully secure plot allocations for themselves and their associates.

After investigations, the ACC submitted charge sheets against all the accused in the cases. Since the accused have not appeared before the court, arrest warrants remain outstanding against them.

With testimonies now underway, the trial process has entered a new phase. However, legal experts note that progress will depend on the authorities’ ability to apprehend the absconding defendants and ensure their presence before the court.

The RAJUK plot corruption cases have attracted significant public attention, given the high-profile nature of the accused, which includes senior political figures, family members of the former Prime Minister, and senior bureaucrats. Observers view the proceedings as a critical test of the judiciary’s ability to handle cases involving influential personalities and ensure accountability in matters of public interest.

The court is scheduled to hear further witness testimony on September 17, as the trial continues against Sheikh Hasina and the other accused in absentia.