Dhaka, Nov 28 – Bangladesh’s former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and two of her family members spoke out on Friday, denying the corruption accusations that have been leveled against them. They described the allegations as “malicious, politically motivated and without any proper foundation,” and urged the public to see the charges as part of a broader political vendetta.
The statements followed a Dhaka court’s ruling on Thursday, which sentenced Hasina to 21 years in prison over three corruption cases linked to irregularities in the Purbachal New City plot‑allocation scheme. In a related case, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul received five‑year prison terms each.
In a release posted on the Awami League’s social‑media page, the family reiterated their innocence. “We firmly deny all allegations of corruption, with each charge brought against us tainted by the political motivations of our opponents. The ACC is under the control of an unelected government, armed with slanted and partial evidence and which prevented any opportunity to defend ourselves,” they said.
Criticising the administration of Muhammad Yunus, they went on, “These allegations are obviously malicious, politically motivated and without any proper foundation, but what is even more disappointing is that the interim Government is trying to implicate and involve innocent family members who are not in any way involved in politics.”
The statement claims that the interim Government has repeatedly weakened Bangladesh’s institutions and imposed an unconstitutional ban that strips millions of ordinary citizens of their voting rights. It added, “The ACC would be better employed investigating the ongoing cronyism and widespread corruption by those currently holding power. Until Bangladesh has a government that is elected with the consent of the people, and endowed with the authority to maintain our institutions, our country’s pattern of corruption will not be resolved.”
Earlier that day, the Awami League condemned the case as “baseless and fabricated,” accusing the ruling forces of using the judiciary to smear them. “There is no rule of law in Bangladesh. There is no justice in the courts. The courts have become tools to protect the interests of the illegal regime and to serve their political motives. Today’s judiciary is not only subservient, it is run by loyal servants who have mortgaged their conscience. This is why the court dismissed the 6.66 billion‑taka tax‑evasion corruption case against the usurper Yunus with a stroke of the pen. But it has now fabricated baseless accusations regarding a legally purchased plot in an attempt to defame members of the Bangabandhu family,” the party released.
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