Bangladesh seizes properties of Sheikh Hasina's family, freezes 124 accounts

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi residence, 'Sudasadhan,' along with other properties owned by her family members, who are currently in exile in India. The court also instructed the confiscation of 124 bank accounts linked to her family, according to an official statement.

The order was issued on Tuesday by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Ghalib, following a request from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The house, 'Sudasadhan,' is named after Sheikh Hasina's late husband, the renowned nuclear scientist MA Wazed Miah, who was affectionately known as Sudha Miah.

Along with Sheikh Hasina, properties belonging to her son Sajib Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, and her nieces Tulip Siddique and Radwan Mujib Siddique have also been seized.

On February 6, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong protest to the Indian government regarding the "false and fabricated" statements made by Sheikh Hasina on various platforms, including social media. These comments were seen as attempts to incite instability in Bangladesh. The protest note, handed to the Acting High Commissioner of India in Dhaka, expressed Bangladesh's serious concerns and disappointment over Hasina's statements, urging the Indian government to take immediate action to prevent her from making further "false, fabricated, and incendiary remarks" while in India.

The situation follows the ousting of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, during a student-led movement that led to weeks of protests and violence, claiming over 600 lives. Hasina, aged 77, fled to India, and a transitional government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was subsequently formed.