Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina, family members sentenced to 5 years in jail in graft case
Dhaka: In a courtroom in Dhaka, Judge Md Rabiul Alam handed Sheikh Hasina—a former prime minister—to five‑years behind bars after the court found irregularities in how plots were assigned under the Purbachal New Town initiative, according to local media.
Her sister, Sheikh Rehana, received a seven‑year sentence, while Tulip Siddiq, the British MP who is also Hasina’s niece, was given two years in prison.
The judge announced the verdict while the three principal defendants were absent, as heightened security surrounded the court. In addition, fourteen other accused were each sentenced to five years; all 17 conspirators, including Hasina, Rehana and Tulip, were fined 1 lakh Bangladeshi Taka, with a potential extra six months in jail for those who failed to pay, The Daily Star reported.
The Anti‑Corruption Commission (ACC) had filed six individual cases between January 12 and 14 at Dhaka Integrated District Office‑1, alleging irregularities in the plot allocation.
This latest ruling follows a November 27 decision by a Dhaka court that condemned Hasina to 21 years for three ACC‑filed corruption cases linked to the same plot‑allocation fiasco.
Following the verdict, Hasina and her family declined the corruption accusations, labeling them “malicious, politically motivated and without any proper foundation.”
In a statement posted on the Awami League’s social media platform, they wrote: “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 also slammed the Muhammad Yunus‑led interim government, adding: “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.”
Earlier, the Awami League, led by Hasina, condemned the case as a “baseless and fabricated corruption case” designed to malign the former prime minister and her family.
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