In a dramatic escalation of Bangladesh’s ongoing political crisis, a Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of multiple properties and bank accounts belonging to the family of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ruling has intensified accusations against interim government head and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is being blamed for orchestrating a targeted campaign to discredit Hasina and her associates.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Zakir Hossain Galib, responding to a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), issued the order on Wednesday. The list includes high-value assets owned by Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, her children Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and Azmina Siddiq Rupanti, as well as Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed Putul and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Among the major properties seized:

• A Baridhara house valued at Tk4.98 crore owned by Saima Wazed Putul
• Nearly 88 decimals of land in Digholia, Khulna worth Tk61.87 lakh
• Additional land in the same area worth Tk41.24 lakh under Rehana’s children’s names
• A 19-decimal plot in Tungipara, Gopalganj worth Tk20.50 lakh

This comes after earlier court orders in March and April froze more than 124 bank accounts and seized additional properties, including the iconic Sudha Sadan residence and a flat in Gulshan.

The Anti-Corruption Commission spokesperson Akhtarul Islam confirmed the developments, which follow a pattern of aggressive legal actions against the former premier’s family and allies.

Critics, including Awami League supporters and several analysts, argue that these actions are politically motivated and form part of what they describe as a larger “design” by Muhammad Yunus to delegitimise Hasina’s legacy. Yunus himself is under legal scrutiny for allegedly embezzling over USD 2 million from Grameen Telecom’s workers’ welfare fund.

Meanwhile, Hasina’s Gulshan home was reportedly vandalised in a mob attack, for which no formal police report has been filed. The former Prime Minister has directly accused Yunus of orchestrating the incident and inciting violence against her supporters.

In a sharp rebuke, Hasina labelled Yunus an “usurper” with no constitutional authority or public mandate, accusing him of using foreign funding to manipulate public sentiment and destabilise the country.

Adding further fuel to the controversy, British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Hasina’s niece, stepped down from her post earlier this year after being implicated in the ACC probe.

The situation has drawn significant domestic and international attention, raising concerns about due process, democratic governance, and the potential for deepening instability in Bangladesh.