Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-5 set the date on Sunday (November 23) after concluding the argument hearing of one accused. The remaining accused, who are absconding, did not present arguments and therefore could not assert their innocence during the self-defense phase.

Khan Md. Mainul Hasan (Lipon), the prosecutor for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), presented the state’s arguments and said the ACC is seeking the maximum penalty—life imprisonment—for Sheikh Hasina and all other accused. Advocate Shahinur Rahman, representing Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused currently in custody, argued that the charges against his client were not proven and sought his acquittal.

“We are expecting the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the accused. We hope the court will issue the highest punishment,” prosecutor Mainul Hasan said after the hearing. Khurshid Alam was produced before the court from jail.

According to court sources, the ACC filed six separate cases in January alleging corruption in the allocation of plots in the Purbachal project. Besides Sheikh Hasina, the accused include her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed (Putul), sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s children—UK MP Tulip Rizwan Siddique, Radwan Mujib Siddique, and Azmina Siddique—and several top bureaucrats and former RAJUK officials.

Other accused named in the cases include National Housing and Public Works Ministry Secretary Md. Shahid Ullah Khandaker, Additional Secretary Kazi Washi Uddin, Administrative Officer Md. Saiful Islam Sarkar, Senior Assistant Secretary Purabi Golder, former RAJUK Chairman Md. Anisur Rahman Miah, former Member (Estate & Land) Md. Khurshid Alam, Member (Administration & Finance) Kabir Al Asad, Member (Development Control) Tanmoy Das, Member (Estate & Land) Md. Nurul Islam, former Member (Planning) Md. Nasir Uddin, retired Engineer Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Director (Estate & Land-2) Sheikh Shahinul Islam, Deputy Directors Md. Hafizur Rahman and Habibur Rahman, former State Minister Sharif Ahmed, and former PM’s Private Secretary Salahuddin.

On July 31, Judge Abdullah Al Mamun framed charges against the accused in three of the cases, while Judge Md. Rabiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 framed charges in the remaining three.

The cases allege that Sheikh Hasina and her family abused their authority while in government to obtain 10-katha plots in Sector 27 of the Purbachal Housing Project, despite not being eligible for the allocations.