A special court in Dhaka on Thursday delivered verdicts in three corruption cases related to the allocation of government plots in the Purbachal New Town project. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to 21 years in prison, receiving seven years for each case.
In the same cases, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul were handed five-year jail terms in separate cases. Eighteen other individuals, including former government officials, also received various prison sentences.
Saiful Islam Sarkar, an administrative officer at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, was acquitted as the court found insufficient evidence against him.
The verdict was announced by Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-5. Among the accused, Khurshid Alam was present in court and sent to prison under a sentence warrant, while the remaining accused, who were absconding, have been issued arrest warrants.
The cases, originally filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in January, named former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her children Sajeeb and Saima, her sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s daughter and British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, and other family members and officials. The charges allege that Sheikh Hasina and her family misused their positions to obtain 10-katha plots in Sector 27 of the Purbachal housing project, despite being ineligible.
During a press briefing, ACC prosecutor Moinul Hasan said, “The court has sentenced Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison in three separate cases. We are not satisfied with the verdict, as we had expected the maximum punishment in each case, including life imprisonment. We will decide whether to appeal to the High Court after consulting with the ACC.”
Summary of Key Sentences:
Sheikh Hasina: 21 years total (7 years in each of three cases) + fines of BDT 1 lakh per case; additional 6 months to 1.5 years if fines are unpaid.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy: 5 years + BDT 1 lakh fine; additional 6 months if unpaid.
Saima Wazed Putul: 5 years + BDT 1 lakh fine; additional 6 months if unpaid.
Other notable sentences:
Former senior officials and Rajuk members received sentences ranging from 1 to 18 years, along with fines and additional prison terms in case of non-payment.
The verdict covers former ministers, secretaries, directors, and assistant directors linked to Rajuk and the housing ministry.
The ACC has indicated that it may challenge the verdict in the High Court, citing dissatisfaction over the sentences not reaching the maximum possible penalty.
This ruling marks a significant development in Bangladesh’s high-profile corruption cases involving top political figures and government officials.
