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A Bangladesh court has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three corruption cases related to illegal land allocation in Dhaka’s Purbachal area. Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul also received five-year jail terms.
Bangladesh Court Sentences Sheikh Hasina’s Son and Daughter to Prison
Dhaka: A Dhaka court on Thursday (November 27) delivered a major verdict against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family. Special Judge-5 Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun sentenced Hasina to a total of 21 years in prison in three cases related to a land scam. This verdict comes at a time when Hasina is already facing serious charges of human rights violations and violent repression.
The court sentenced Sheikh Hasina on charges of illegally allotting government land in Dhaka's Purbachal area to her family. The court imposed equal sentences of seven years in each of the three cases. The verdict on the remaining three petitions will be announced on December 1. According to the court, these allegations relate to the wrongful allotment of government land and corruption.
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Not only Sheikh Hasina, but her family also became accused in this case. The court sentenced her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, to five years in prison and a fine of 100,000 taka. Her daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, also received a five-year prison term, although no fine was imposed on her.
All these cases are part of an investigation launched by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in January. Hasina and her family claim these charges are political vendettas.
This is not the first time Sheikh Hasina has faced a harsh sentence. Previously, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity related to the repression of the July 2024 student protests. The court stated that the repression carried out by the Hasina government resulted in the deaths of several young protesters.
Following this, Hasina and her family fled the country, and her lawyers are not appearing in court.
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The interim government in Dhaka has officially requested Sheikh Hasina's extradition from India. India's Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that the request has been received and is under review.
It is noteworthy that the Hasina government fell in 2014 following massive student-led protests. On August 5, Hasina fled the country and sought refuge in India.
