A court in Bangladesh sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday to 21 years in prison for corruption, a week after she was given the death penalty for crimes against humanity.
Hasina, 78, is currently residing in India and has defied court orders that she return to Bangladesh.
She was sentenced in absentia on November 17 to be hanged for crimes against humanity after ordering a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising last year that eventually ousted her.
But three other cases had been brought against the ex-leader by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over land grabs of lucrative plots in a suburb of the capital Dhaka.
Hasina received seven years’ imprisonment in each of the three cases, Dhaka Tribune reported. Several other accused were also handed varying prison terms, it added.
It is unclear if the sentences will run concurrently.
Hasina’s conduct “demonstrates a persistent corruption mindset rooted in entitlement, unchecked power, and a greedy eye for public property”, ruled judge Abdullah Al Mamun.
“Treating public land as a private asset, she directed her greedy eye toward state resources and manipulated official procedures to benefit herself and her close relatives.”
Hasina’s US-based son Sajeeb Wazed and daughter Saima Wazed, who has served as a top United Nations official, were sentenced to five years each.
Hasina fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, 2024, after weeks of student-led protests against her autocratic rule.
Public prosecutor Khan Moinul Hasan said he would appeal the verdict in the corruption cases.
“We are not satisfied with the verdict, as we had sought maximum punishment,” he told AFP.
“We will consult our client, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and decide on the next course of action.”
The three cases involve a total of 47 accused, with 23 individuals named across them, according to Dhaka Tribune.
The first case listed 12 accused, including Hasina; the second listed 17, including Hasina and Sajeeb; and the third listed 18 convicts, including Hasina and her daughter Saima.
Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since the end of Hasina’s rule, and violence has marred campaigning for elections slated for February 2026.
The UN says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as Hasina tried to cling to power.
Hasina has called the guilty verdict and death sentence in her crimes against humanity trial “biased and politically motivated”.
She is also being prosecuted in three other corruption cases, along with her sister Sheikh Rehana and her children, including British MP Tulip Siddiq.
By AFP
