A new ruling against the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and her two sons on corruption charges

A court in Bangladesh on Thursday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three corruption cases.

A court in Dhaka, headed by Judge Abdullah Al-Mamun, convicted Hasina (78 years old) of illegally acquiring land in the suburbs of the largest city in Bangladesh, at the conclusion of a trial that took place in absentia.

When pronouncing the ruling, the judge declared, “The Prime Minister’s behavior…reveals a persistent tendency toward corruption, fueled by a sense of impunity, unlimited powers, and a clear greed for public property.”

Her son and daughter were also sentenced Thursday to five years in prison in the same files.

Last week, a court issued a death sentence against the former prime minister, who had ruled the country with an iron fist since 2009, convicting her of crimes against humanity for issuing orders to security forces to shoot at demonstrators during the student uprising that ousted her in August 2024.

Hasina, who is outside the country, denied that she had given such orders, denouncing “political motives” behind the ruling.

At least 1,400 people were killed, most of them civilians, according to the United Nations, during the popular protests led by students and forced Hasina to resign and leave the country on August 5, 2024, to take refuge in neighboring India after 15 years of holding the reins of power.

After the death sentence was issued against her, Dhaka submitted a request for her extradition to New Delhi, which reported on Wednesday that the request was “under consideration.”