Bangladesh Court Convicts Exiled Former PM Hasina, British MP Niece in Land Grab Case
A special court in Dhaka delivered a significant verdict on Monday, sentencing exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in prison on corruption charges. Her niece, Tulip Siddiq, a sitting member of the UK's Parliament for the Labour Party, received a four-year sentence in the same case concerning a government land allocation project.
The charges, brought by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission, allege that Hasina illegally secured prime property near the capital for family members during her tenure. Siddiq was convicted for allegedly influencing her aunt to benefit her immediate family. Siddiq's siblings, Azmina and Radwan Mujib, were sentenced in absentia to seven years each.
This ruling adds to the legal troubles for Hasina, who was ousted in 2024 following mass protests and has been living in exile. She faces multiple other convictions, including a prior death sentence in absentia for crimes against humanity related to her government's crackdown on demonstrators.
The timing of the verdict is politically charged, coming just weeks before scheduled national elections on February 12. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has barred Hasina's former party, the Awami League, from participating. The Bangladesh military has formally requested London's police to arrest and extradite Siddiq and her family—a move likely to test UK-Bangladesh relations.
Defendants have consistently denounced the cases as politically motivated. Siddiq dismissed the latest conviction as a "smear campaign," while Hasina's supporters claim the judicial process is a tool to eliminate opposition ahead of the polls.
Reaction & Analysis:
"This verdict confirms the interim government's commitment to rooting out systemic corruption, regardless of status," says Dr. Aisha Rahman, a political analyst based in Dhaka. "However, its proximity to the election inevitably raises questions about judicial independence in a polarized climate."
"It's a blatant, cowardly political assassination using a courtroom," fumes Marcus Thorne, a veteran foreign correspondent who covered Hasina's administration. "Convicting an exiled leader and a UK MP on dubious charges just before an election you've barred their party from? This isn't justice; it's a purge dressed in legal robes."
"The international community, particularly the UK, now faces a delicate diplomatic test," notes Professor Anika Chowdhury of the South Asia Studies Institute. "This case intersects domestic accountability with complex international law and bilateral ties. The extradition request will be a critical moment."