Legal Troubles Mount for Ex-Bangladesh PM: 21-Year Sentence Handed Down in Graft Case

The legal challenges facing former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have intensified dramatically. On Thursday, a special court in Dhaka sentenced the ousted leader to a total of 21 years in prison. This verdict comes barely a week after she was handed a death penalty in a separate case linked to the violent suppression of student protests.

The Corruption Charges

The latest judgment focuses on financial irregularities and abuse of power regarding the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol. According to reports from local media outlets, the court found Hasina guilty of illegally allocating plots of land.

In a strong rebuke, the presiding judge noted that the land allotments were made without any formal application process, stating that Hasina acted beyond her legal jurisdiction to distribute the property. The court delivered three separate sentences of seven years each, which the judge ordered to run consecutively, resulting in a total term of 21 years.

Trial in Absentia

Sheikh Hasina, who holds the record as Bangladesh’s longest-serving Prime Minister, was not present for the ruling. The trial was conducted in absentia as the court has declared her a "fugitive." Hasina fled Dhaka for India in August 2024, following massive public unrest that toppled her government.

A History of Unrest

This prison sentence adds to a growing list of convictions. Just days earlier, on November 17, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death. That ruling held her responsible for ordering a deadly crackdown on student-led demonstrations between July and August of last year. United Nations reports estimate that the violence resulted in roughly 1,400 deaths, marking the bloodiest political conflict in the nation since 1971.

Political Fallout

From her location in India, Hasina has reportedly dismissed the legal proceedings. In a statement released following the verdict, she rejected the court's authority, labeling it a "rigged tribunal."

The timing of these heavy sentences has cast a shadow over the country's political landscape. With national elections slated for February, political observers believe the conviction of such a prominent figure may trigger further instability and unrest across the neighboring nation.