Bangladesh court sentences ex-Prime Minister Hasina to 21 years in prison for corruption after death penalty

In Bangladesh, a court in absentia handed down a harsh sentence to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in exile, finding her guilty of a number of corruption offenses. She had previously been sentenced to death. This is stated in the Bloomberg material, writes UNN.

Details

A court in Bangladesh on Thursday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison for three separate corruption cases. According to Khan Mohammad Moinul Hasan, chief coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Commission, each of the three sentences is seven years, and "will be served one after another, not concurrently."

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Hasina, who fled to India in 2024 after a violent crackdown on protests and was tried in absentia, was accused of conspiring with high-ranking officials and illegally obtaining valuable land plots. As Hasan noted, the court concluded that, while holding the highest office in the country, she deliberately violated state regulations for her own benefit.

In her official statement, Hasina categorically denied guilt.

We strongly deny all corruption charges, and every accusation made against us is tainted by the political motives of our opponents 

The former prime minister remains in exile in New Delhi after her escape in August 2024, which ended her 15-year rule. The country's interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, continues to try to stabilize the political situation and is preparing elections and a constitutional referendum for February.

In addition to Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed and daughter Saima Wazed received five-year prison sentences, whom the court found involved in the "illegal distribution of state land."

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