A Dhaka court on Thursday sentenced former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three corruption cases.
Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Special Judge’s Court-5 announced the verdict, handing Hasina seven years in each case, and ordered the terms to run consecutively.
Earlier in January 2025, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed six cases against Hasina and her family members over alleged irregularities in allocating government plots in Dhaka’s Purbachal area. Consequently, the court delivered verdicts in three cases, while the remaining three will be announced on December 1.
In addition, the court sentenced Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, to five years in prison and fined him Tk 100,000. Her daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, also received a five-year jail term. Furthermore, nineteen other accused were sentenced to varying prison terms, while one former government officer was acquitted.
Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh had earlier sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, citing her role in suppressing the July 2024 anti-government protests.
Hasina and her family did not appoint lawyers in the corruption cases because they remain absconding. She fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, after a student-led uprising and has since taken refuge in India. At present, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus heads the interim government in Dhaka.
On Wednesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that it had received a request from Bangladesh’s interim government seeking Hasina’s extradition. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that New Delhi is examining the request. Moreover, he stressed India’s commitment to Bangladesh’s stability, democracy, and peace.
