A Bangladesh court delivered a significant verdict on Monday, sentencing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 10 years in prison in two separate corruption cases. The cases are linked to alleged irregularities in the allocation of residential plots under the Purbachal New Town government project near Dhaka.
Court Delivers Verdict in High-Profile Cases
According to news agency ANI, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 handed Hasina five years' imprisonment in each case, resulting in the cumulative 10-year sentence. The verdict was pronounced by Judge Robiul Alam at approximately 12:30 pm local time.
The 79-year-old former premier received 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for allegedly using her official influence to allocate residential plots to others, including family members, under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachal on the outskirts of the capital.
Family Members Also Sentenced
In the same cases, Hasina's niece Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, a British MP and daughter of Sheikh Rehana, was sentenced to two years in each case, totaling four years in prison. Another niece, Azmina Siddiq, and Hasina's son Radwan Mujib Siddiq, also known as Bobby, each received seven-year prison sentences.
Additional Convictions and Trial Details
Apart from Hasina and her relatives, several other individuals were convicted in these cases. According to news agency PTI, those sentenced to five years' imprisonment included:
- A former junior housing minister
- A former secretary of the housing ministry
- A former Rajuk chairman
- Officials of the state-run Rajuk authority
Only one of the accused, a senior Rajuk official, was physically present in court during the verdict. The remaining defendants were tried in absentia.
The trial of the accused was not obstructed regardless of where they were in the world, Judge Robiul Alam stated while delivering the verdict, as quoted by PTI.
Background of the Corruption Cases
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) initially filed these cases on January 13, 2025, against 16 individuals. Later, on March 10, 2025, the commission submitted charge sheets against 18 accused persons.
A total of 31 witnesses testified during the trial proceedings, with the recording of testimonies concluding on January 5 this year. The court had scheduled February 2 for pronouncing judgment in both cases.
The corruption watchdog alleged that Hasina colluded with government officials to illegally secure plots in the Purbachal New Town Project for herself and her family members, despite them being ineligible under existing rules. Hasina has previously been convicted in multiple other cases related to the same project and had received cumulative sentences totaling 26 years in prison from earlier verdicts.
Political Reactions and Context
Hasina's now-disbanded Awami League described the sentences as entirely predictable and alleged the cases were fabricated by the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Tulip Siddiq rejected the allegations, calling the process flawed and farcical from the beginning to the end. I'm absolutely baffled by the whole thing, she was quoted by the BBC as saying, adding that she had not received any summons or charge sheet. She confirmed she had engaged lawyers in both the UK and Bangladesh.
Hasina's Current Situation
Sheikh Hasina has been living in exile in India since August 5, 2024, following the toppling of her government in a student-led uprising. After her ouster, the interim government under Muhammad Yunus initiated a series of legal proceedings against Hasina, her family members, and former Awami League leaders.
Earlier, a special tribunal had sentenced Hasina to death on charges of committing crimes against humanity for her alleged role in brutally suppressing the student-led uprising. Separately, on an Anti-Corruption Commission complaint, a court on November 27 had sentenced Hasina to a total of 21 years' imprisonment in another case.
This latest verdict adds to the legal challenges facing the former prime minister, who has been at the center of Bangladesh's political landscape for decades. The cases highlight ongoing anti-corruption efforts in the country and the complex intersection of politics and justice in South Asia.
