In a major legal blow to Bangladesh’s former leadership, a Dhaka court on Monday sentenced ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in prison over the Purbachal plot allocation scam. The verdict, delivered by Judge Mohammad Rabiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, also handed four years to her niece, British MP Tulip Siddiq.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) spearheaded the case, with prosecutor Mir Ahmad Ali Salam presenting the charges. The court found Hasina and 12 others, including family members Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, guilty in one charge, each receiving 10-year terms. Radwan and Azmina got seven years in another related case, while one accused faced two years across two counts.
Media reports from The Daily Star indicate five additional individuals were sentenced to five years in a linked matter. The court imposed a fine of 1 lakh Bangladeshi Taka on Hasina and 21 others, with six months extra jail time for non-payment.
This isn’t the first setback for Hasina in the Purbachal project scandal. Back on December 1, a Dhaka court had given her five years for plot allotment irregularities, alongside seven years for her sister Sheikh Rehana and two for Tulip Siddiq. Just last year on November 27, she was hit with 21 years in three ACC-filed corruption cases tied to the same issue.
Hasina and her family have vehemently denied all charges, labeling them as politically motivated fabrications by opponents. In a statement, they accused the ACC, under the control of Muhammad Yunus’s interim government, of relying on one-sided, incomplete evidence without giving them a fair defense opportunity.
‘These accusations are clearly malicious, politically driven, and lack any solid foundation,’ the statement read. ‘Even more disheartening is the interim government’s attempt to implicate innocent family members uninvolved in politics.’
The Purbachal New Town project, meant to ease Dhaka’s housing crunch, became mired in controversy over alleged favoritism in land plot distribution during Hasina’s tenure. Critics long alleged powerful figures grabbed prime plots at throwaway prices, sidelining genuine buyers.
As Bangladesh navigates political turbulence post-Hasina’s ouster, this ruling underscores the interim regime’s push against graft from the previous administration. Legal experts watch closely if appeals will overturn these convictions, but for now, it marks a significant chapter in the nation’s accountability drive.