A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 10 years in prison in two separate corruption cases linked to the allocation of residential plots under the Purbachal New Town project.
The verdict, delivered by Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 judge Robiul Alam, handed Hasina five years’ imprisonment in each case, to run consecutively.
In the same rulings, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, a British Member of Parliament and daughter of Sheikh Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, was sentenced to four years in prison—two years in each case. Another accused, Azmina Siddiq, received a seven-year sentence in one of the cases.
Hasina’s son, Radwan Mujib Siddiq (also known as Bobby), was also sentenced to seven years in prison.
The cases stem from allegations that the accused abused their official positions to secure government plots—measuring between 10 and 20 kathas—under the Purbachal New Town development near the capital, Dhaka.
Court proceedings revealed that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed both cases on January 13, 2025, initially naming 16 individuals. Following investigations, charge sheets were submitted on March 10, 2025, expanding the list of accused to 18. The court framed formal charges on July 31, 2025, after which the trial began.
A total of 31 prosecution witnesses testified. The final witness, ACC assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya, also served as the investigation officer and faced cross-examination by defence lawyers. The court had set February 2 as the date for delivering judgments in both cases after concluding hearings earlier in January.
Bangladesh has been undergoing major political upheaval since a student-led mass movement in July 2024, which culminated in Sheikh Hasina leaving the country and seeking refuge in India on August 5, 2024. An interim government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, was subsequently formed.
Since taking office, the interim administration has initiated a series of legal actions against Hasina, former cabinet members, and leaders of the Awami League, focusing on allegations of corruption, abuse of power, and administrative irregularities during her tenure.
