A Bangladeshi court has delivered significant prison sentences to prominent political figures in a high-profile corruption case involving illicit land acquisition in Dhaka. Sheikh Rehana, sister of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, received a seven-year imprisonment term, while her daughter Tulip Siddiq, who serves as a British Member of Parliament, was sentenced to two years in the same proceedings.
The verdict, announced Monday by Judge Rabiul Alam, concludes a contentious legal battle that has drawn international attention. Court prosecutor Khan Mainul Hasan presented evidence demonstrating Siddiq’s direct involvement in the plot allocation scheme, including encrypted communications and personal meetings with Salahuddin Ahmed, then principal secretary to the prime minister.
“Documented correspondence reveals that Siddiq persistently pressured her aunt Sheikh Hasina to allocate valuable urban plots for family members, while securing three parcels for herself and her children,” Hasan stated following the verdict.
The case unfolds against a backdrop of dramatic political transformation in Bangladesh. Former PM Hasina, who received a death sentence last month for crimes against humanity, has sought political asylum in India following her removal from power during widespread student protests last year. Rehana’s current whereabouts remain undisclosed.
Judge Alam emphasized the court’s jurisdictional authority, noting that “the judiciary maintains full power to prosecute any Bangladeshi national, regardless of their physical presence within the country.” Prosecutors confirmed they would formally notify British authorities of the verdict against Siddiq, who resigned as Britain’s anti-corruption minister in January when allegations first surfaced.
The British parliamentarian has consistently denied wrongdoing, characterizing the proceedings as “political persecution and judicial farce” in media interviews. Siddiq recently told The Guardian she represents “collateral damage” in the ongoing power struggle between interim leader Muhammad Yunus and her aunt’s political legacy.