A court in Dhaka on Thursday sentenced former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison after finding her guilty in three separate corruption cases. The charges relate to the illegal allocation of land in a government development project for herself and her family.
Judge Abdullah Al Mamun delivered the verdict, which found Hasina, 78, guilty of securing plots of land in the Purbachal New Town project, a suburb of the capital. The sentence consists of three consecutive seven-year terms. In the verdict, the judge stated Hasina had “manipulated official procedures to benefit herself and her close relatives.”
The court also sentenced her son, Sajeeb Wazed, and daughter, Saima Wazed, to five years in prison each in one of the three cases. The cases were brought against the former prime minister by the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission.
Hasina was not present for the ruling. She has been residing in India since leaving Bangladesh on Aug. 5, 2024, following weeks of widespread, student-led protests. Bangladesh’s interim government has requested her extradition from India.
This sentencing follows a separate verdict issued last week, in which Hasina was sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against humanity. Those charges were connected to a government crackdown on the 2024 protests that, according to the United Nations, resulted in up to 1,400 deaths.
Public prosecutor Khan Moinul Hasan told the AFP news agency that he was “not satisfied” with the 21-year sentence and plans to appeal, seeking the maximum penalty.
Hasina and her Awami League party have denounced the trials against her. According to reports, she did not appoint a defense lawyer for the proceedings. Some international human rights groups have also raised questions about the fairness of the trial process.
Shaina Begum, the mother of a student killed during the 2024 protests, told Al Jazeera following the verdict that she wished to see Hasina returned to Bangladesh to face the sentences.
Bangladesh is currently administered by an interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. New national elections are scheduled for February 2026. Additional legal cases against Hasina are still pending, with another verdict expected on Dec. 1.
