DHAKA — A court in Bangladesh sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday to 21 years in prison for corruption, a week after she was given the death penalty for crimes against humanity.
Hasina, 78, is currently in India and has defied court orders that she return to Bangladesh.
She was sentenced in absentia on Nov. 17 to be hanged for crimes against humanity after ordering a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising last year that eventually ousted her.
But three other cases had been brought against the ex-leader by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over land grabs of lucrative plots in a suburb of the capital Dhaka.
Hasina’s conduct “demonstrates a persistent corruption mindset rooted in entitlement, unchecked power, and a greedy eye for public property,” judge Abdullah Al Mamun said in the ruling.
“Treating public land as a private asset, she directed her greedy eye toward state resources and manipulated official procedures to benefit herself and her close relatives,” he added.
Hasina’s United States-based son Sajeeb Wazed and daughter Saima Wazed, who has served as a top United Nations official, were sentenced to five years each.
Hasina fled Bangladesh by helicopter on Aug. 5, 2024, after weeks of student-led protests against her autocratic rule.
Public prosecutor Khan Moinul Hasan said he would appeal the verdict in the corruption cases.
“We are not satisfied with the verdict, as we had sought maximum punishment,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“We will consult our client, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and decide on the next course of action,” he said.
Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since the end of Hasina’s rule, and violence has marred campaigning for elections slated for February 2026.
The UN says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as Hasina tried to cling to power.