Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to 21 years in prison in connection with three separate corruption cases.

The verdict was delivered by a Dhaka court on Wednesday in Hasina’s absence, as she is living in self-imposed exile in New Delhi, India.

The court handed down seven-year sentences for each of the three cases, which revolve around  irregularities in the allocation of land plots under the Purbachal New Town Project near Dhaka. According to the court, the plots were allotted “without any application” and in a manner that “exceeded the legally authorized jurisdiction.”

Family members were also implicated. Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, each received five-year sentences in one of the cases. Additional rulings related to the cases are expected in the coming weeks.

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Political and legal context

The corruption verdict follows Hasina’s earlier conviction by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh, which sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity during a crackdown on protests in 2024. These cases come amid a broader political transition in Bangladesh following the ouster of Hasina’s administration. The interim government is overseeing legal proceedings against several top political figures as the country prepares for upcoming elections.

Hasina, Bangladesh’s long-serving Prime Minister and daughter of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, dominated Bangladeshi politics for nearly two decades, leading the Awami League and overseeing major economic development while facing accusations of corruption and authoritarianism.

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