Bangladesh Court Sentences Sheikh Hasina to 21 Years in Jail; Second Major Verdict in a Month

Dhaka, 27 Nov 2025: In a dramatic turn of events, a Bangladesh court has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison. This verdict comes just weeks after the International Crimes Tribunal handed her a death sentence, marking the second major ruling against her in a single month.

Sheikh Hasina, currently residing in India, had fled Bangladesh following anti-government protests in July–August last year. The latest conviction relates to three separate corruption cases involving the allocation of plots in the RAJUK New Town Project in Dhaka. Each case carries a seven-year sentence, cumulatively totaling 21 years. Special Judge Court-5, presided over by Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, delivered the verdict at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday.

Prosecution and defense arguments had concluded on 23 November, after which the court set the verdict date. According to media reports, Sheikh Hasina faces charges alongside 20 other individuals, of whom only Mohammad Khurshid Alam has been arrested so far. Testimonies in the three cases were completed on 17 November.

The cases implicate Sheikh Hasina’s close family members, including her son Sajib Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s daughter, and even British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq along with her children Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had filed six separate cases related to plot allocations earlier this year in January, of which today’s verdict covers three.

Earlier, on 17 November, the International Crimes Tribunal had sentenced Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in a separate case related to crimes against humanity. Analysts suggest these successive rulings indicate a focused effort by Bangladesh’s interim government advisor, Mohammad Yunus, to challenge and weaken Sheikh Hasina’s political influence.