Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To 21 Years In Prison By Dhaka Court Over Purbachal Housing Scam

The former PM was previously sentenced to death for committing crimes against humanity.

A Court in Dhaka has sentenced Bangladesh’s former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to 21 years in prison. Her two children, Sajeeb Wazed and Saima Wazed, have also been sentenced to 5 years over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under a government housing project after their trial was conducted in absentia. Read on to know more about the recent developments.

Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To 21 Years In Prison

The 78-year-old Sheikh Hasina and her children, Sajib Wazed and Saima Wazed, were handed sentences in three cases over corruption charges related to the government housing project at Purbachal near Dhaka’s capital. Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, who announced the verdict, said that the government plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction.

For each case, Hasina has been sentenced to 7 years, totalling a sentence of 21 years. Apart from the ex-prime minister’s family, 20 other government officials, including junior ministers, were sentenced to various prison terms for housing Sharif Ahmed and officials of the housing ministry and Rajdhani Unyan Kartripakkah.

Authorities tightened security in and around the court complex in the old part of Dhaka as the judgment came 10 days after a special Bangladeshi tribunal sentenced Hasina to death on charges of committing “crimes against humanity”. On November 17, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Jasina to death along with the country’s home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

Where Are They Now

Both Hasina and Kamal are currently in hiding in India. In 2024, Sheikh Hasina’s government was toppled following student protests in the country. The outrage grew when Hasina’s government started attacking students, which led to many deaths. These protests were termed as ‘July Upsrising’.

Also Read: Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To Death Over Deadly 2024 Student Protests

Three days after the protests, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus flew from Paris at the call of the protesting students to assume the charge of the interim government. India has recently said that it received Bangladesh’s request to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and is now examining the request as part of its ongoing judicial and internal legal processes.

Also Read: From Akshata Murty To Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, Women Embracing Indian Fashion At The G20 Summit

 

 

 

First Published: November 27, 2025 4:33 PM