A court in Dhaka has delivered a significant verdict, sentencing former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in absentia to five years in prison for corruption. Alongside her, British Labour Party MP Tulip Siddiq, Hasina's niece, received a two-year jail term. The case revolves around allegations of corruption tied to the acquisition of land plots.
The ruling, issued by Rabiul Alam, judge of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court, on Monday, found Sheikh Hasina guilty of misusing her authority as premier during the land transaction. Hasina has been living in exile in India since an uprising last year led to her overthrow.
Allegations Against Tulip Siddiq and Family
Tulip Siddiq, who represents the UK's governing Labour party, was found culpable of corruptly influencing her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, to facilitate the acquisition of a government project land plot in Dhaka for her mother, Sheikh Rehana (Hasina’s sister), and two siblings. Sheikh Rehana, reportedly no longer residing in Bangladesh, was also sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison. The trio faces a fine of 100,000 taka (approximately $820) each, with an additional six months of imprisonment if the fines are not paid. Furthermore, fourteen other individuals implicated in the case received five-year sentences.
Prosecutor Khan Mainul Hasan, representing the Anti-Corruption Commission, revealed that his team possessed detailed correspondence between Siddiq and Salahuddin Ahmed, Hasina’s principal secretary. These communications, he stated, laid bare Siddiq's active involvement, indicating she “insisted that her aunt Sheikh Hasina allocate plots for her mother and siblings, as she herself took three – one for her and two for her children.” Hasan further detailed her communication methods, stating she “called [Ahmed], communicated via some encrypted apps, and even met him while she was in Dhaka.”
Claims of Political Motivation
Both Sheikh Hasina and Tulip Siddiq, neither of whom appointed legal counsel to defend against the charges, have vehemently dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. Hasina, who was previously sentenced to death in absentia last month for crimes against humanity stemming from a crackdown on protesters, rejected the latest verdict in a statement. She asserted that while corruption exists globally, its investigation must be untainted, a test she believes the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) failed. Her Awami League party echoed this sentiment, labeling the verdict “entirely predictable” and the ACC a “political mechanism used for political ends.”
Tulip Siddiq, MP for London’s Hampstead and Highgate constituency, has yet to issue a public statement regarding this specific conviction but has previously termed the accusations a “politically motivated smear.” Her familial ties to her aunt had prompted her resignation in January from her role as the UK’s minister for financial services and anti-corruption, citing that the scrutiny had become a “distraction.” This resignation followed an investigation by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ethics adviser, which, while finding no breach of the ministerial code, recommended a review of her responsibilities.
International Implications and Citizenship Dispute
The United Kingdom does not maintain an extradition treaty with Bangladesh. Prosecutor Hasan indicated that Bangladeshi officials plan to engage the UK government through their Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Siddiq’s verdict.
A point of contention remains Siddiq's citizenship. Bangladeshi authorities contend she was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen, claiming possession of her Bangladeshi passport, national identity card, and tax number. However, Siddiq has consistently refuted this, asserting her British citizenship and denying holding Bangladeshi citizenship.
This recent judgment is not an isolated incident. Another court previously sentenced Hasina in absentia to 21 years in separate cases involving the same township development project. She was found guilty of illegally securing land plots in the Dhaka development for herself and her family, despite their ineligibility. In one of these cases, Hasina’s son and daughter were also handed five-year jail sentences.