An anti-graft panel in Bangladesh has initiated an investigation against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family over allegations of embezzling $5 billion from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Bangladesh's first nuclear facility, is being constructed 160 kilometers west of Dhaka with the involvement of Russian state-run corporation Rosatom. Indian companies are also participating in the project.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation extends to Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and her niece Tulip Siddiq, who is currently a Treasury Minister in the United Kingdom. The report revealed that the ACC is examining allegations of the transfer of $5 billion from the project to a Malaysian bank account linked to Hasina, Joy, and Siddiq.
The probe follows a High Court directive issued two days earlier, questioning the ACC's inaction on the alleged misappropriation. The court asked why the lack of action should not be declared illegal. Bobby Hajjaj, chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), reportedly brought the corruption claims to the ACC's attention.
The accusations come as Hasina remains in India, where she fled on August 5 after pro-Pakistan Jamaat-backed student protest ended her 16-year rule. She was accompanied by her sister, Rehana. Joy resides in the United States, while Siddiq serves as a Member of Parliament in the UK.
Additionally, the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants against Hasina and several of her former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military officials, accusing them of "crimes against humanity and genocide."
The Rooppur project, touted as a landmark in Bangladesh's energy infrastructure, has become embroiled in controversy with these allegations of financial misconduct. Investigators are expected to examine the project's financial records thoroughly as the ACC intensifies its probe.
(With inputs from PTI)