The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to explain the legality of its apparent disinterest in probing allegations against Sheikh Hasina and her children over embezzling $5 billion from Rooppur nuclear power project.

The High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Mubina Asaf issued the rule in response to a writ petition filed by politician Bobby Hajjaj’s lawyer Barrister Sahedul Azam Tamal.

On 19 August, an obscure international media outlet named “Global Defense Corp” published a report claiming Shaikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Tulip Siddiq jointly siphoned off $5 billion, equivalent to about Tk60,000 crore, from the country’s first nuclear power project through a Malaysian bank.

Although the Russian state, implementer of the project, later vehemently denied the allegations, NDM Chairman Boby Hajjaj filed a writ petition seeking the High Court’s directive in launching a corruption investigation in this regard.

On 3 September, Hajjaj’s lawyer Sahedul filed the writ naming the ACC as the respondent.