Alongside convicting former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the high-profile plot corruption cases, Dhaka’s Fifth Special Judge’s Court has highlighted serious malpractices within the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

The court observed that both institutions were complicit in the illegal allocation of multiple plots, often bypassing established rules and favouring influential individuals, including politicians, bureaucrats, and private contractors. Authorities were ordered to identify and trace all unauthorised plot beneficiaries.

In a directive aimed at restoring public trust, the court instructed that any recovered plots must be reallocated solely to landless citizens and eligible applicants, ensuring transparency and fairness in future allotments.

Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun underscored the depth of the systemic corruption, citing arbitrary decision-making, manipulation of records, and long-standing misconduct in government housing and land allocation. He noted that RAJUK’s procedures had been routinely violated, with officials granting plots without proper applications, ignoring legal requirements, and facilitating illegal transfers.

The court also pointed to irregularities in land development projects, redevelopment schemes, and allotments of government-owned plots in prime locations, revealing a network of institutionalised graft that extended over years.

To address these failures, the court ordered RAJUK and the Housing Ministry to initiate both departmental and criminal proceedings against officials involved in the misconduct. It further emphasised the need for stringent monitoring mechanisms to prevent future irregularities.

The ruling is seen as a major crackdown on entrenched corruption in urban land allocation, signalling that no public official or political figure will be beyond scrutiny in the management of government property.