Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to 21 Years
Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for a total of 21 years in three separate cases filed on charges of plot corruption by abusing her power. Judge Md. Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court-5 announced the verdict in the case on Thursday. The verdict is being read out as of this writing.
Earlier, the court had fixed the date of the verdict after hearing arguments on November 23. In these three cases, only former RAJUK member (Land and Establishment) Mohammad Khurshid Alam is in jail after surrendering.
The verdicts in these three cases out of six cases filed on corruption charges in the allocation of six plots of 10 kathas each in the name of Sheikh Hasina, her two sons and daughters, younger sister Sheikh Rehana and her two sons and daughters in the Purbachal New Town project of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartik (RAJUK) were pronounced today.
In addition, the verdict in another case filed against Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana and Rehana’s eldest daughter British MP Tulip Siddique and others is scheduled for December 1. The three cases in which the verdict was announced today concluded their arguments on November 23. The date of the verdict was set on that day.
The ACC filed six cases, including these three cases, on January 12, 13 and 14 of this year. Charge sheets were filed in each case on March 25. On July 31, the court framed charges against Sheikh Hasina and others in these three cases and ordered the trial to begin.
Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to 21 Years
The charge sheet names 12 accused including Sheikh Hasina in the plot allocation case. In another case, 17 accused including Joy and 18 accused including Putul in another case. In each case, Sheikh Hasina and some officials of RAJUK and the Public Works Ministry are accused. Out of the six cases, the remaining three cases are pending in Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court-4. Among them, the verdict date for the case against Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Tulip and others is set for December 1.
The other two cases have been filed against Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddique, daughter Ajmir Siddique and others. Sheikh Hasina and officials of RAJUK are also accused in these two cases. The dates for taking testimony in these two cases are set for November 30 and December 1.
The charge sheet in the case states that Sheikh Hasina and her family abused the power vested in them while holding the highest positions in the government. Despite the fact that they were not eligible for the allocation, 6 plots on Road No. 203 of Sector No. 27 of the Purbachal Housing Project were allotted for dishonest purposes.
