Mon Dec 01 11:30:00 UTC 2025: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ex-Bangladesh PM Hasina, British MP Siddiq Sentenced in Land Corruption Case
DHAKA, Bangladesh – A special court in Dhaka handed down prison sentences Monday to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her niece, British Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, in a corruption case related to a government land project.
Hasina received a five-year sentence for abuse of power while in office, and Siddiq was sentenced to two years for corruptly influencing her aunt to benefit her mother and siblings. Hasina’s sister, Sheikh Rehana, received a seven-year sentence as the central figure in the case. All three were fined $813, and the allotted land plot for Rehana was ordered canceled.
The prosecution, which had sought life sentences, expressed disappointment with the verdict but indicated it would consult with anti-corruption authorities for further action.
Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate in the British Parliament, maintains her innocence, calling the trial a “farce” driven by political motives. She disputes claims that she is a Bangladeshi citizen, asserting her British citizenship.
Hasina, who lives in exile in India and was previously sentenced to death in a separate case, was tried in absentia. None of the defendants appointed legal representation.
The sentencing comes amid political upheaval in Bangladesh, currently governed by an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has scheduled parliamentary elections for February.
First Piper 