A Dhaka court on Sunday ordered the publication of a gazette notice by April 8, requiring Tulip Rizwana Siddiq to appear in court regarding a corruption case involving the illegal acquisition of a luxury flat in Gulshan.
Tulip Siddique is the niece of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the daughter of Sheikh Rehana.
Judge Md. Sabbir Faiz of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court issued the order after the police failed to execute a previously issued arrest warrant. While the court had initially set March 29 for a progress report on the gazette, the deadline was extended because the Government Printing Press (BG Press) has yet to publish the notice.
The order also applies to co-accused Sardar Mosharraf Hossain, a former assistant legal advisor for RAJUK.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on April 15 last year against Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Hossain, and former RAJUK official Shah Md. Khasruzzaman. The charges allege that the accused abused their power to occupy and register a flat owned by Eastern Housing Limited in Gulshan-2 without making any payment.
Following an investigation, the ACC filed a formal chargesheet on December 11 under the Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. On February 18, the court accepted the charges and issued an arrest warrant. However, law enforcement reported they were unable to apprehend Siddique, leading to the legal requirement for a public gazette notification.
Proceedings against the third accused, Shah Md. Khasruzzaman, are currently stayed following a writ petition filed in the High Court.
