Bangladesh court sentences ex-PM Hasina, UK lawmaker niece in graft case

Verdict comes up of elections connected February 12 with ousted person Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League barred from taking part.

A Bangladesh tribunal handed down jailhouse sentences to exiled erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her niece, UK lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, connected corruption charges.

The tribunal successful Dhaka connected Monday sentenced Hasina to 10 years aft she was accused by the country’s corruption watchdog of illegally securing spot successful a authorities onshore task adjacent the superior for herself and household members.

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Hasina has been successful exile successful India since 2024 erstwhile she was ousted by a student-led wide uprising that ended her 15-year rule.

She has since been sentenced to decease successful absentia connected charges of crimes against humanity linked to the crackdown connected the protests, which killed arsenic galore arsenic 1,400 people, according to the United Nations.

Judge Mohammed Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 besides sentenced Siddiq, a lawmaker for the United Kingdom’s governing Labour Party, to 4 years successful situation successful transportation with the alleged onshore grab.

Siddiq’s siblings, Azmina and Radwan Mujib, each received seven-year sentences for their engagement successful the case.

The Bangladesh subject called connected constabulary successful London to “arrest and manus implicit the fugitive Tulip and her wanted household members to the Bangladesh Law Enforcement agencies immediately”.

Hasina and Tulip Siddiq were antecedently sentenced successful similar cases regarding a authorities onshore project. Both denounced that verdict.

Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina successful Dhaka successful 2016 [File: EPA]

‘Misusing power’

The prosecution said Siddiq influenced her aunt to assistance her parent – Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s sister – and 2 siblings get a crippled successful the authorities task successful Dhaka.

Siddiq dismissed the allegations arsenic a “politically motivated smear”.

Hasina was antecedently convicted successful 4 different cases implicit corruption successful the task arsenic charges of misusing powerfulness heap up against her pursuing 15 years successful power.

In those cases, the tribunal sentenced her to a full of 26 years successful situation with her children, Sajeeb Wazed and Saima Wazed, receiving 5 years each. Her younger sister Sheikh Rehana – parent of Tulip, Azmina and Radwan – was sentenced to 7 years.

The latest verdicts came arsenic the interim government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, prepares for February 12 elections.

Hasina’s erstwhile ruling Awami League enactment has been banned from taking part.