Dhaka, Bangladesh – A special court in Dhaka has sentenced Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, to 10 years in prison for her involvement in an illegal land distribution case related to a government project. The case pertains to the Purbachal New Town project, where 20 kathas (approximately 0.27 acres) of land were allegedly distributed irregularly.
The court, presided over by Judge Robiul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, handed down the sentence on Monday, with five years of imprisonment for each of two separate charges, totaling 10 years. The same court also sentenced Sheikh Hasina’s sister, Sheikh Rehana’s daughter, and UK Member of Parliament Tulip Rizwana Siddique to four years in prison (two years for each charge).
In addition, Azmina Siddique received a seven-year prison sentence for one of the charges, while Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sadiq Radwan Mujib Siddique (Bobby), was also sentenced to seven years of imprisonment.
The case revolved around the alleged misuse of power and irregularities in land distribution under the Purbachal New Town Government Project. A total of 31 witnesses testified during the trial, with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) playing a key role in the investigation. Afnaan Jannat Kiya, Assistant Director of the ACC, gave the final prosecutorial testimony.
In January 2025, the ACC filed charges against 16 individuals, and following the investigation, 18 individuals were formally charged in March 2025. The court began the trial on July 31, 2025, after determining the charges.
In a related case, the same court also issued a verdict on February 2, 2025, involving Sheikh Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddique, and her niece Tulip Siddique, who were accused of misusing their authority and causing irregularities to obtain 10 kathas of land under the Purbachal project. A total of 18 individuals were charged in that case.
After an August 5, 2024, student-led movement in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina went into exile in India. Following her departure, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus, which has since moved forward with legal proceedings against Sheikh Hasina, her Cabinet members, and senior officials from the Awami League.
The legal proceedings mark a significant development in Bangladesh’s political and legal landscape, with these high-profile cases involving prominent political figures.
