Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina, niece and British MP Tulip Siddiq in corruption case

A Dhaka court has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her niece, MP Tulip Siddiq, to prison terms for corruption linked to a housing project.

A Dhaka court on Monday handed down prison terms to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her niece, British MP Tulip Siddiq, in a corruption case tied to a government housing project.

Sheikh Hasina and her niece Tulip Siddiq received prison sentences from a Dhaka court for corruption in a housing project. (AFP/File)

The verdict, delivered by Judge Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court, marks yet another legal blow for the ousted leader, whose trials are being conducted in her absence.

According to the court, Hasina abused her authority during her tenure as prime minister, while Siddiq was found guilty of using her influence to help secure a state-allotted land plot for her mother, Sheikh Rehana, and two siblings, said a report by news agency AP.

Rehana was identified as the primary beneficiary of the scheme and received a seven-year prison sentence. All three were fined an identical amount of 813 dollars, and the disputed land allotment in Rehana’s name was revoked as part of the judgment.

Fourteen additional individuals have been charged in connection with the case. Prosecutor Khan Mohammed Mainul Hasan said the Anti-Corruption Commission had pushed for life sentences for the main accused and expressed disappointment with the reduced terms, said the report. He indicated that the prosecution may explore further legal options.

Tulip Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate in the UK Parliament, had previously dismissed the accusations as politically motivated, describing the trial as a “sham” built on fabricated charges. Earlier this year, she stepped down from her ministerial post in Britain due to mounting pressure over her family ties.

Hasina, who fled to India after her 15-year rule ended in a mass uprising, was sentenced to death last November in a separate case involving alleged crimes against humanity. She, Rehana, and Siddiq’s siblings, all living abroad, did not appoint legal counsel for the current proceedings.

The former prime minister also received a 21-year jail sentence on November 27 in three additional cases linked to the same township project, while her son and daughter were each given five-year terms, the report noted.

(With inputs from AP)