A Bangladeshi court on Thursday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison for corruption, just a week after she received the death penalty for crimes against humanity.
Gatekeepers News reports that Hasina, 78, is currently in India and has defied court orders to return to Bangladesh. She was previously sentenced in absentia on November 17 to be hanged for her role in a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year, which ultimately led to her ouster.
The latest sentence stems from three corruption cases brought against Hasina by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), related to the alleged illegal acquisition of valuable land plots in a suburb of Dhaka.
Presiding judge Abdullah Al Mamun said Hasina’s actions demonstrated “a persistent corruption mindset rooted in entitlement, unchecked power, and a greedy eye for public property.”
“Treating public land as a private asset, she directed her greedy eye toward state resources and manipulated official procedures to benefit herself and her close relatives,” the judge added.
In the same cases, Hasina’s US-based children, Sajeeb Wazed and Saima Wazed, a top UN official, were each sentenced to five years in prison.
Hasina fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, 2024, following weeks of protests against her autocratic rule.
Public prosecutor Khan Moinul Hasan told AFP that he would appeal the corruption verdict.
“We are not satisfied with the verdict, as we had sought maximum punishment,” he said.
“We will consult our client, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and decide on the next course of action.”
Bangladesh has been grappling with political turmoil since the end of Hasina’s tenure, with election campaigning for the February 2026 polls marred by violence. The United Nations reports that up to 1,400 people were killed during the crackdowns as Hasina attempted to maintain power.
Hasina has described the verdicts in her crimes against humanity and corruption cases as “biased and politically motivated.” She faces three additional corruption cases, along with her sister Sheikh Rehana and other family members, including British MP Tulip Siddiq.
