The High Court has formed a three-member committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 60 kathas of plots by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) in the name of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and five members of her family between 2009 and 2024.
The HC bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi formed the committee on Thursday (October 24) headed by retired HC Justice Mifta Uddin Chowdhury.
The other members of the committee are Advocate Jashimuddin Sarkar and Engineer Alamgir Hossain.
The committee was asked to submit its report within four months through the secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain why directives should not be given to take legal steps as per the Anti-Corruption Act against those involved in the illegal allocation of the plots.
It also issued a rule seeking explanation as to why all illegal plots including that of 60 kathas allocated in the name of Sheikh Hasina's family should not be cancelled.
The Secretary to the Public Works Ministry, the Rajuk Chairman, the Purbachal Project Director, Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and Ajmina Siddiq Rupanti were made respondents to the rule
Advocate Mohammad Misbah Uddin stood for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney Generals Mohammad Mujibur Rahman and Nur Muhammad Azmi represented the state.
Advocate Misbah said that out of 26,000 plots, 856 were reviewed in court, and it was found that many were allotted in the names people with addresses of Australia, America, and London.
Numerous IDs lacked detail information and only Jubo League, Chhatra League, and Awami League were mentioned, he said.
Ten Supreme Court lawyers filed the writ petition on September 11. They are Advocate Md Rezaul Islam, Al Reza Md Amir, Md Gomal Kibria, Mohammad Harun, Md Belayet Hossain, Kamrul Islam, Hasan Mahmud Khan, Shahinur Rahman, Zillur Rahman, and Ismail Hossain.
