Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received a 21-year prison sentence Thursday across three separate corruption cases, just over a week after being sentenced to death for her role in the deadly 2024 student uprising crackdown, local media reported.
Sheikh Hasina Corruption Case Details
The corruption charges relate to alleged irregularities in plot allocations within the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol. State-run BSS news agency reported Hasina received seven-year sentences for each of three cases, to be served consecutively.
The court stated in its judgment: “The plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction.”
Hasina, Bangladesh’s longest-serving Prime Minister, was tried in absentia, with the judge delivering the verdict citing her fugitive status.
Previous Death Sentence
On November 17, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty of ordering violent suppression of student-led protests occurring between July and August 2024.
According to a UN report, the unrest resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths and thousands of injuries, predominantly from security forces’ gunfire. The violence represents Bangladesh’s deadliest political upheaval since its 1971 independence war.
Hasina’s Current Status
Sheikh Hasina fled to neighboring India during peak protests in August 2024. Following Thursday’s corruption verdict, she released a statement rejecting the proceedings’ legitimacy, dismissing the court as a “rigged tribunal.”
India has declined extradition requests, making it unlikely Hasina will serve either sentence. She cannot appeal the death sentence unless she surrenders or is arrested within specified timeframes.
Political Context and Implications
The convictions follow significant political transformation in Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus leads the current interim government, which has banned Hasina’s Awami League party from contesting upcoming elections.
The timing carries particular significance as Bangladesh prepares for elections scheduled in February. Hasina’s sentencing adds uncertainty to the electoral process, with observers noting potential for continued unrest amid persistent political tensions.
The Awami League has condemned both verdicts as politically motivated, claiming the interim government lacks democratic legitimacy to conduct such trials. Party representatives have warned the proceedings are pushing Bangladesh toward civil instability.
The successive legal actions against Hasina represent a dramatic reversal for the leader who dominated Bangladeshi politics for 15 years before being forced from power by mass protests.
