A Bangladeshi court has handed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina a 21-year prison sentence on corruption charges, marking the latest in a series of legal actions against the ousted leader. The ruling comes just one week after she was sentenced to death in a separate case involving crimes against humanity.
Hasina, 78, has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following weeks of intense student-led protests that forced her from power. She has refused to comply with court directives to return to face trial.
The newest judgment concerns three cases brought by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which accused Hasina of orchestrating the illegal acquisition of valuable land in a district outside Dhaka. Delivering the verdict, Judge Abdullah Al Mamun stated that Hasina’s actions reflected “a persistent corruption mindset rooted in entitlement, unchecked power, and misuse of state assets,” adding that she manipulated official procedures to secure benefits for herself and her relatives.
Her children, Sajeeb Wazed who resides in the United States and Saima Wazed a senior United Nations official each received a five-year sentence in the same case.
The corruption ruling follows Hasina’s November 17 conviction in absentia, in which she received the death penalty for authorizing a deadly crackdown on student demonstrators during the uprising that toppled her government. The United Nations has reported that as many as 1,400 people were killed during the unrest.
Public prosecutor Khan Moinul Hasan indicated that the state plans to challenge the decision, noting dissatisfaction that the court did not impose harsher penalties. The ACC will determine next steps after reviewing the ruling.
Bangladesh continues to face significant political instability in the aftermath of Hasina’s fall from power. Tensions remain high as the country heads toward national elections scheduled for February 2026, with sporadic violence already affecting the campaign period.
Hasina, who has described the verdicts against her as “biased and politically motivated,” is also a defendant in additional corruption cases involving her sister Sheikh Rehana and other family members, including UK Member of Parliament Tulip Siddiq.
