A Dhaka court has rejected a petition filed by four lawyers who sought to represent former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a corruption case over alleged irregularities in plot allocations.
The petition was submitted on Thursday before Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4, where three of the six graft cases against Hasina are under trial. The lawyers—Morshed Hossain Shahin, Imran Hossain, Sheikh Farid, and Md Tapu—applied to appear on behalf of Hasina, citing their wish to ensure her “access to justice and the rule of law.”
However, the court dismissed the petition, noting that Hasina is considered a “fugitive” in the eyes of the law. “In ACC cases, if an accused is absconding, no one can conduct defense on their behalf,” ACC prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam told reporters.
One of the petitioners, lawyer Morshed Hossain Shahin, said: “We applied to represent Sheikh Hasina at our own expense, but the court rejected our request.”
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed six separate cases in January, accusing Hasina, her family members, and several senior government officials of abusing state power to secure six residential plots in Dhaka’s Purbachal New Town project. Those charged include Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed, sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s daughters—UK MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmira Siddiq—her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and others.
All members of Hasina’s family named in the cases have been declared absconders, with arrest warrants issued against them.
Other accused include senior officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), as well as former state minister Sharif Ahmed and Hasina’s former principal secretary Salauddin.
According to the charge sheet, the accused abused their positions of authority during Hasina’s premiership, securing plots “despite being ineligible” and “with ill intent.”
On July 31, the court framed charges against 23 people, including seven members of Hasina’s family, across the six cases. Testimony in all cases is currently underway.
