The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday set July 15 for hearing a delayed petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in March 2025 seeking permission to appeal against a 2010 High Court verdict that quashed proceedings against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others in a corruption case filed in 2007.
The ACC, on the other hand, on Sunday said that they had launched an inquiry against Hasina allegedly for amassing illegal wealth in the 15 years of her rule until she was ousted on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising.
A three-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, on the day set July 15 for hearing on the delayed ACC petition on Hasina’s 2010 graft verdict and said that the petition would be heard by the full bench of the Appellate Division.
The ACC filed the case during the military-back caretaker government over Hasina’s alleged involvement in the award of a contract to install a barge-mounted power plant in Khulna in 1996–1997 fiscal year.
The ACC filed the leave-to-appeal petition on the barge-mounted power plant graft case on March 5, 2025 — 5,432 days after the High Court verdict.
Subsequently, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division on March 17 set May 18 for hearing the ACC application, which has now been rescheduled to July 15.
The ACC accused Hasina and six others of corruption in the awarding of the contract for setting up the barge-mounted power plant in Khulna.
Following Hasina’s petition, the High Court on July 7, 2008, stayed the proceedings and issued a rule asking the ACC to explain why the case that was pending with the Dhaka Special Court’ 1 at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban should not be quashed.
On November 24, 2010, a High Court bench finally quashed the proceedings against Hasina while she was prime minister, observing that the case lacked legal basis.
The barge-mounted graft case was among the 15 cases against Sheikh Hasina that were either quashed or withdrawn after she had assumed in power in 2009.
After the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League regime in August 2024, the ACC is now seeking to overturn the decision.
Officials at the ACC said that the commission on Sunday formed an inquiry team led by its deputy director Masudur Rahman to carry out probe against Hasina over her involvement in amassing illegal wealth in the past 15 years of her rule until she was ousted from power.
According to Hasina’s affidavit submitted to the election commission before the January 7, 2024 national election, her immovable assets increased by 26.59 times in 15 years.
Apart from this, her annual income rose over three-fold during her three terms as prime minister between 2009 and 2023.
The immovable assets of Hasina have increased from Tk 1.75 lakh in 2008 to Tk 46.54 lakh in 2023, according to the affidavit.
In the 2008 document, Hasina showed 4 acres of agricultural land valued at Tk 1.75 lakh, while the latest affidavit reveals an increase in her agricultural land property to 15.3 bighas worth Tk 6.78 lakh, a plot in Purbachal valued at Tk 34.76 lakh, and a three-storey building worth Tk 5 lakh.
Hasina, also the president of the Awami League, showed an increase in annual income from Tk 29.77 lakh in 2008 to Tk 1.06 crore in 2023.
Hasina earned Tk 9.46 lakh from agriculture, an increase from Tk 4.50 lakh in 2008, Tk 25 lakh from shares, savings certificates and bank deposits, Tk 16.38 lakh from her job, Tk 32.25 lakh from Fixed Deposit Receipts and bank interest, and Tk 23 lakh from royalties.
Hasina’s movable assets have somewhat increased from Tk 3.46 crore in 2008 to Tk 3.87 crore this time.
On March 10, ACC submitted charge sheets against 29 people, including Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, in six cases filed on charges of corruption in allotting Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha land plots at the Purbachal New Town project.
Hasina and her family members took allotment of six plots in Purbachal by abusing power, violating rules and concealing information.
A Dhaka court has recently issued an arrest warrant against Hasina in connection with Purbachal plot fraud cases.
On December 17, 2024, the ACC also launched an inquiry against Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed, Sheikh Rehana, and Tulip Siddiq over allegations of embezzlement and corruption involving Tk 80,000 crore in nine mega projects.
The anti-corruption agency, on December 22, 2024, also decided on another inquiry against Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed over allegations of laundering $300 million abroad.
Hasina is also facing a huge number of cases filed allegedly for killings and mass killings during the 2024 mass uprising.
