Sheikh Hasina sentenced in land scam, Faces multiple past convictions and claims lack of fair representation

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison in a land scam case linked to the Purbachal New Town project. The Special Judge’s Court-4 in Dhaka, led by Judge Md Rabiul Alam, also sentenced her sister Sheikh Rehana to seven years and her niece, British MP Tulip Siddiq, to two years. The court ruled that the accused unlawfully obtained residential plots meant for diplomats by bypassing eligibility rules, allegedly using political influence and misusing public office.

According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Hasina, during her tenure as prime minister, along with senior Rajuk officials, secured six plots of 10 kathas each in the diplomatic zone of Purbachal for herself and close family members, including her children, Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Saima Wazed Putul, despite being ineligible. The court said the land allotments violated government regulations designed to ensure fair distribution of public land.

This verdict is part of a series of legal judgments against Sheikh Hasina in recent months. On November 27, she was sentenced to 21 years of rigorous imprisonment, seven years in each of three related land fraud cases connected to the same Purbachal project. In those cases, her son and daughter were also given five-year sentences each. These cases were framed after the ACC filed six separate complaints in January, alleging conspiracy, abuse of power and favoritism in land allocation.

In addition to the corruption cases, Hasina faces a major conviction on charges of crimes against humanity. In November, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in connection with the 2024 protest crackdown, accusing her of authorizing lethal force and failing to prevent mass killings. Her assets were also ordered to be seized under that judgment. Human rights organizations have since raised concerns about the fairness of the proceedings, saying trials were rushed and conducted without adequate transparency.

Hasina’s supporters and legal team argue that the cases are politically motivated and designed to permanently remove her from Bangladesh’s political landscape. They claim that she was not given an opportunity to properly defend herself in court, with many proceedings held in her absence. They say her right to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and make public statements was severely restricted. Her party maintains that her voice has been largely excluded from legal and media narratives, and that many of the trials lacked due process and impartiality.

As legal battles continue, the ongoing convictions against Sheikh Hasina mark one of the most significant shifts in Bangladesh’s political and judicial history, raising questions about the balance between accountability and political retribution.