Bangladesh ex-leader Hasina, Tulip Siddiq jailed in land-project corruption case
Bangladesh ex-leader Hasina, Tulip Siddiq jailed in land-project corruption case
A Dhaka court convicts ex-PM Hasina to five years and Tulip Siddiq to two years in a government land project corruption case, signaling high-stakes political ramifications.
A Dhaka court has handed down prison sentences to two high-profile figures in a long-running corruption case centered on a government land project. Ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina received five years in prison, while her niece, British MP Tulip Siddiq, was sentenced to two years in absentia. The verdict was delivered by Rabiul Alam, the judge of the Special Judge’s Court, in Dhaka.
Hasina was found to have abused her power as prime minister in ways linked to the land project, with Siddiq accused of corruptly influencing her aunt to help her mother and two siblings obtain a government plot. Siddiq’s mother, Sheikh Rehana, received seven years in prison and was described as the main participant in the case. A total of 14 other suspects were named in the proceedings.
Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate in London, had previously denied the charges and said the trial was a farce built on “fabricated accusations and driven by a clear political vendetta.” In January, Siddiq resigned as a government minister under pressure due to her ties to Hasina.
Bangladesh’s legal landscape has additional layers: in a separate proceeding, Hasina was sentenced to 21 years in jail in another case involving the same township project. In November, she was also sentenced to death in a case for crimes against humanity related to the crackdown on the mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule. Hasina lives in exile in India, and most of her trials have occurred in absentia, with several family members also abroad facing related charges. None of the defendants appointed defense lawyers for Monday’s hearing.
The sentences come at a time of heightened political tension ahead of elections, underscoring the deep divisions in Bangladeshi politics and the ongoing role of Hasina’s family in public life, even as legal battles continue.
Cover image source: Sheikh Hasina in exile in India, Khaleda Zia ‘critical’ at Dhaka hospital, what happens next in Bangladesh? 🔗
