Major Verdict for Former Bangladesh Leader
A court in Bangladesh has delivered a significant verdict, sentencing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 21 years in prison in three separate corruption cases. The charges are linked to alleged irregularities in land allocations for a government housing initiative known as the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachal.
Details of the Court's Ruling
The sentencing was announced on Thursday by Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka's Special Judge Court-5. The judge handed down three separate seven-year prison terms for the corruption cases, ordering that they be served consecutively, which brings the total sentence to 21 years.
In addition to the prison time, the court imposed a fine of Taka one lakh in each case. The judge stated that failure to pay these fines would result in an additional 18-month jail term.
The legal repercussions extended to Hasina's family as well. The court also sentenced her son, Sajib Wajed Joy, and her daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, to five years in prison each in related cases connected to the same housing project. Both were fined Taka one lakh, with a default sentence of one month in jail if the fines are not paid.
While delivering the sentence, Judge Mamun was cited by PTI as saying, "The plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction."
Mounting Legal Troubles and International Dimension
This latest conviction adds to the severe legal challenges facing the ousted prime minister. It comes just 10 days after a special tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia for "crimes against humanity." That charge was related to her government's violent crackdown on student-led protests the previous year.
Hasina, who has been living in exile in New Delhi since August 2024, has consistently rejected all allegations. She maintains that the charges against her are "biased and politically motivated."
The situation has created a diplomatic scenario between India and Bangladesh. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that a formal extradition request from Dhaka is currently under examination. However, under the 2013 extradition treaty between the two nations, India is not automatically obliged to comply. The treaty allows for the refusal of such requests if the offence is deemed "political" in nature or if the extradition would be considered "unjust or oppressive."
