Bangladesh Court Delivers Second Blow to Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina With 21-Year Corruption Sentence
Bangladesh’s judicial system dealt another significant blow to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday when a Dhaka court sentenced her to 21 years in prison for corruption, marking the second major legal verdict against the former leader in less than two weeks. The conviction by Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court 5 adds to mounting legal troubles for the 78 year old who fled the country on August 5, 2024, following student led protests that toppled her 15 year government.
The verdict, delivered at the Special Judge Court 5, comes precisely one week after an International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity linked to the violent government crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators last year. According to Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission, which filed the cases, Hasina was convicted of irregularities in land allocations under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachal, a major development initiative on the outskirts of Dhaka. Judge Mamun pronounced seven-year sentences in each of three separate cases, ordered to run consecutively rather than concurrently, resulting in the cumulative 21 year prison term. The judge also imposed fines totaling Taka three lakh, with an additional 18 months of simple imprisonment for each case if the fines remain unpaid.
According to the court judgment and investigation documents filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, Sheikh Hasina illegally influenced officials of Rajuk, Bangladesh’s urban development authority, to secure a 10 katha plot in the Purbachal project without submitting any formal application. The court found that despite already possessing residential properties within areas under Rajuk’s jurisdiction, Hasina concealed this information and abused her position as prime minister to gain unauthorized access to government land. “The plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction,” Judge Mamun stated during his judgment. The judge’s written verdict further emphasized that Hasina’s conduct “demonstrates a persistent corruption mindset rooted in entitlement, unchecked power, and a greedy eye for public property,” noting that she had “treated public land as a private asset” and “manipulated official procedures to benefit herself and her close relatives.”
The conviction extends beyond Hasina herself. Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who is based in the United States, and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, who has previously served as a top UN official, both received five year prison sentences in separate cases related to the housing project allocation scheme. Both were fined Taka one lakh each, with one month of default imprisonment for non-payment. Of the 47 individuals charged across the three cases, representing 22 distinct persons due to multiple case appearances, 19 received varying prison terms, while one government officer, Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, was acquitted due to lack of conclusive evidence. Prominent among those convicted was former junior housing minister Sharif Ahmed and various officials from the housing ministry and the Rajuk development authority.
The Anti-Corruption Commission, which spearheaded these prosecutions as part of Bangladesh’s broader accountability efforts, expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict. According to a statement from the ACC’s public prosecutor Khan Moinul Hasan and chief coordinator Khan Mohammad Moinul Hasan, the agency had sought maximum punishment in these cases. “We are not satisfied with the verdict, as we had sought maximum punishment,” Khan Moinul Hasan told international media outlets. “We will consult our client, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and decide on the next course of action,” indicating that the prosecution team planned to appeal the decision to higher courts.
This corruption conviction arrives at a critical juncture for Bangladesh’s transitional justice process. The International Crimes Tribunal’s death sentence of November 17 charged Hasina with orchestrating a systematic campaign of killings during the July-August 2024 student uprising, during which the United Nations documented approximately 1,400 deaths. That tribunal’s verdict found that Hasina personally ordered the deployment of lethal force, including helicopters and military equipment, against peaceful protesters and that her government attempted to cover up deaths by admitting victims under false names and threatening doctors to alter post-mortem reports. The tribunal was chaired by Justice Md Golam, with Justice Md Mohitul Haque and Justice Md Shafiul Alam as co-judges, and delivered a comprehensive 453-page judgment supporting the conviction.
Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has made accountability and institutional reform central to its transitional agenda. Attorney General Md. Asaduzzaman characterized the crimes against humanity verdict as “a landmark judgment and a message for the future” that would “remain a milestone for justice and the rule of law in Bangladesh.” The government’s prosecution strategy has encompassed multiple trial tracks addressing distinct categories of alleged misconduct, ranging from crimes against humanity to economic corruption and abuse of public resources.
Hasina has rejected all charges against her as “biased and politically motivated,” characterizing the International Crimes Tribunal as a “rigged tribunal” lacking legitimacy. In a statement distributed through her Awami League party, now banned, she alleged that the interim government under Muhammad Yunus was attempting to eliminate political rivals and consolidate power. She remains in exile in India and has defied court orders mandating her return to Bangladesh, with security heightened around court complexes during all proceedings involving the former leader. The prosecutor indicated that the government would pursue extradition efforts, with India’s Ministry of External Affairs stating it is “examining” Bangladesh’s extradition request regarding Hasina. Bangladesh faces scheduled elections in February 2026, which observers say may be influenced by the outcomes of these ongoing trials against the former prime minister and other members of her administration.