Bangladesh Court Sentences Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina to 10 Years in Prison

A special court in Dhaka on Monday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 10 years in prison and her niece, British Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, to 4 years in two separate corruption cases linked to alleged irregularities in the allocation of government land plots under the Purbachal New Town project near the capital.

Judge Mohammed Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 handed down the verdicts in absentia, as both Hasina and Siddiq are abroad. Hasina, 78, who has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh amid mass protests in August 2024 (following her ouster after 15 years in power), received 5 years in each case, to be served consecutively. Siddiq was sentenced to 2 years per case.

The court also imposed 7-year prison terms on Hasina’s nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq and another niece Azmina Siddiq. Additional accused, including officials from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), received varying sentences, with some getting up to 10 years. Fines were levied on the convicts, reports indicate Tk 1 lakh to Tk 2 lakh each for key figures like Hasina and Siddiq, with additional jail time if unpaid.

The cases stem from accusations that Hasina abused her authority to illegally allocate ineligible family members plots in the state-developed township project, bypassing regulations. Prosecutors alleged Siddiq influenced her aunt to benefit her mother (Hasina’s sister, Sheikh Rehana) and siblings, though Siddiq has denied obtaining any land herself and rejected the claims as baseless.

Both Hasina and Siddiq have condemned the trials as politically motivated “farces” orchestrated by Bangladesh’s interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which is preparing for national elections on February 12. Siddiq, a UK citizen, has emphasized she holds no Bangladeshi citizenship and described the proceedings as lacking fairness.

Enforcement remains challenging because Hasina resides in India, and Siddiq in the UK, with no extradition likely in the near term for either. The verdicts add to the intense scrutiny on Hasina’s Awami League legacy amid the country’s shifting political landscape.