Dhaka, July 21 -- A Dhaka court on Sunday ordered that trials in six high-profile corruption cases related to illegal plot allocations in the Purbachal New Town Project will proceed in the absence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 23 other accused individuals.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued the directive after confirming that official gazette notifications had been published declaring the accused as fugitives from justice.

The court also mandated the transfer of the cases to a Special Judge Court to conduct the full trial proceedings.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam informed reporters that the publication of the gazette notification has paved the way for th...