A Bangladesh court on Thursday sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years of imprisonment in three corruption cases, local media reported. According to the state-run BSS news agency, the three cases were filed over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots in the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judge delivered the verdict in the absence of the accused, as she had not yet been arrested and was tried in absentia. Hasina received a seven-year sentence in each of the three cases, amounting to a total of 21 years in prison. "The plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction," the court observed in its judgment.
Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed six separate cases against Sheikh Hasina and her family members last January for allegedly illegally allocating the government's plots at the Purbachal area in Dhaka. The verdict in the remaining three cases will be announced on December 1.
The court sentenced Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy to five years in prison and a fine of Tk 100,000. The court sentenced Sheikh Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed Putul to five years in prison.
Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death by ICT
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has already sentenced Sheikh Hasina a death sentence after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity linked to the July 2024 anti-government protests.
Hasina and her family did not have legal representation during the proceedings, as they were in hiding. Nonetheless, they have consistently rejected all corruption-related accusations in various public statements and speeches.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Minister of External Affairs on Wednesday stated that the Indian government is currently examining the request from Bangladesh's interim government seeking the extradition of its former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced to death by the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a case related to crimes against humanity during last year's July-August unrest.
At the weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had officially received the communication from Dhaka. He emphasised that India remains committed to Bangladesh’s stability and the welfare of its people, in line with its "ongoing judicial and internal legal processes."
"Yes, we have received the request, and this request is being examined. As part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes, we remain committed to the best interest of the people of Bangladesh, including peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country, and will continue to engage constructively in this regard with all state stakeholders," Jaiswal said.
In July 2024, a student-led revolt broke out against then–Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She fled the country on August 5 and sought refuge in India. Following her departure, an interim administration was formed under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
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