Dhaka (TDI): A Bangladeshi court on Thursday handed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a prison sentence of 21 years for corruption, just days after she was given the death penalty for crimes against humanity.
At 78, Hasina is currently in India and has ignored court orders to return to Bangladesh. Earlier, on November 17, she was sentenced in absentia to death for allegedly ordering a violent crackdown on a student-led uprising last year, an unrest that eventually led to her removal from office.
In addition to the human rights case, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) brought three separate cases against Hasina involving illegal acquisition of valuable land in Dhaka suburbs. The court handed her seven years in prison for each of these cases, according to Dhaka Tribune. It remains unclear whether the sentences will run simultaneously or consecutively.
Judge Abdullah Al Mamun described Hasina’s behavior as reflecting “a deep-seated corruption mindset fueled by entitlement, unchecked authority, and greed for public property.” The ruling added that she treated state-owned land as her personal asset and manipulated official procedures to benefit herself and her relatives.
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Hasina’s children were also convicted. Her US-based son Sajeeb Wazed and daughter Saima Wazed, a former senior United Nations official, each received five-year prison terms.
Hasina fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, 2024, following weeks of student protests against her administration.
The three corruption cases involve 47 accused in total, with 23 individuals named across the cases. The first case listed 12 defendants, the second 17 (including Hasina and Sajeeb), and the third 18 (including Hasina and Saima).
Bangladesh has experienced political unrest since Hasina’s departure, with election campaigns for February 2026 marred by violence. According to the UN, up to 1,400 people were killed during crackdowns as Hasina sought to maintain control.
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Hasina has rejected the guilty verdicts, calling the rulings politically motivated and biased. She faces ongoing prosecution in three other corruption cases, which also name her sister Sheikh Rehana and children, including British MP Tulip Siddiq.
