Bangladesh: Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sentenced to additional prison term

Monday 02 - 14:00

By: Sahili Aya

Bangladesh: Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sentenced to additional prison term

A court in Bangladesh has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to an additional 10 years in prison after finding her guilty in two corruption cases linked to irregularities in a large-scale government housing development in Dhaka.

The ruling concerns alleged abuses of authority related to the Purbachal New Town Project, where Hasina was accused of concealing asset information and improperly influencing land allocations. The court imposed two separate five-year sentences, bringing the total to ten years.

The same verdict also included prison sentences issued in absentia against several members of Hasina’s family, including her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and her nieces Azmina Siddiq Rupanti and Tulip Siddiq, according to legal representatives of the state-run Anti-Corruption Commission.

Investigators concluded that the defendants unlawfully secured plots of land by exploiting political influence within the former administration. The court reportedly determined that family ties played a role in facilitating the allocations.

Sheikh Hasina has been living in exile in India since August 2024, after leaving Bangladesh amid widespread protests that brought an end to her 15-year period in power. Since her removal, she has faced multiple legal proceedings.

In previous rulings, courts had already handed down lengthy prison sentences against Hasina in other corruption cases connected to the same housing project. She has also been convicted in separate cases related to the violent suppression of mass demonstrations prior to her ouster.

The latest verdict further deepens the legal challenges facing Bangladesh’s former leader, as authorities continue to pursue accountability for alleged abuses during her time in office.