In a significant legal development in Bangladesh, a court in the capital, Dhaka, has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to five years in prison and her niece, British Labour Party lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, to two years, due to corruption linked to a government land project. The ruling was handed down by Judge Rabiul Alam at Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court.
The judge found that Sheikh Hasina misused her authority during her time as prime minister, while Tulip Siddiq was accused of corruptly influencing Hasina to facilitate land acquisition for her mother, Sheikh Rehana, and two siblings. Rehana has been sentenced to seven years in prison as the primary accused in the case. Each of the defendants has also been fined approximately $813, and the judge ordered the cancellation of the land allocation for Rehana.
With the case involving a total of 14 suspects, Khan Mohammed Mainul Hasan, the prosecutor from the corruption watchdog, expressed disappointment that harsher sentences were not imposed, as life sentences had been sought for the main defendants. The prosecution noted that Siddiq was treated as a Bangladeshi citizen during the trial, despite her assertion of being a British citizen.
Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate in the UK Parliament, has repeatedly denied the corruption allegations, dismissing the trial as politically motivated and based on “fabricated accusations.” Earlier this year, she resigned as economic secretary to the Treasury under pressure due to her family connections, despite claiming to have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina has faced a series of legal challenges since her removal from power last year. In a separate trial, she and her children received sentences of five years each concerning another case tied to the same land project.
Currently, Bangladesh is under the administration of an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has announced plans for parliamentary elections in February.
These events signal a continuing tumultuous phase in Bangladeshi politics, with legal ramifications that could reshape the political landscape in the nation. As the judicial proceedings unfold, scrutiny of political accountability may lead to a renewed focus on governance and public integrity in Bangladesh.