A Dhaka special court has delivered prison sentences to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members in a high-profile corruption case involving a government land allocation scheme. The verdict, issued Monday, sentenced Hasina to five years imprisonment while her niece Tulip Siddiq—a sitting British Labour Party parliamentarian—received a two-year term.
Presiding Judge Rabiul Alam found Hasina guilty of abusing her prime ministerial authority to facilitate illicit land acquisitions for family members. The court identified Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s sister and Siddiq’s mother, as the primary beneficiary of the scheme, handing her a seven-year prison term—the most severe sentence among the defendants.
All three convicted individuals were fined 70,000 taka (approximately $813) and ordered to forfeit the controversially acquired property. Fourteen additional suspects remain implicated in the case.
Corruption prosecutor Khan Mohammed Mainul Hasan expressed disappointment with the sentencing, revealing that prosecutors had sought life imprisonment for the principal defendants. “We will consult with the commission for our next course of action,” Hasan stated following the verdict.
The trial proceeded without defense representation, as none of the accused appointed legal counsel. All convicted parties currently reside outside Bangladesh—Hasina in exile in India, while Rehana and Siddiq’s siblings remain abroad facing separate charges related to last year’s political uprising.
Siddiq, who represents London’s Hampstead and Highgate constituencies, previously denounced the proceedings as “a farce built on fabricated accusations and driven by a clear political vendetta.” She resigned from her ministerial position in January amid mounting pressure regarding her familial connections.
This verdict adds to Hasina’s legal troubles, following her November death sentence for crimes against humanity during the crackdown that ended her fifteen-year administration. In a related case involving the same township project, another court previously sentenced Hasina to twenty-one years imprisonment, with her children receiving five-year terms.
The interim government under Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus continues to oversee Bangladesh’s political transition, having announced parliamentary elections for February.