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Published : 01 Dec 2025, 12:03 PM
A Dhaka court has delivered its verdict in another corruption case against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members over the allocation of plots in the Purbachal New Town project.
Alongside Hasina, the court has also found her sister Sheikh Rehana and Rehana’s daughter, British MP Tulip Siddiq, guilty and sentenced them to varying terms in prison.
Rehana received a 7-year jail term, while Hasina has been jailed for five years.
Meanwhile, Tulip -- a UK Labour MP who resigned as a junior minister earlier this year amid intense media scrutiny surrounding the corruption allegations against her family -- has been handed two years in prison.
Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Fourth Special Judge's Court delivered the verdict on Monday.
The remaining 14 defendants in the case were each sentenced to five years in prison and fined Tk 100,000, with an additional six-month term if they fail to pay.
Further, the court ordered the cancellation of the Purbachal plot allocated in Rehana’s name.
Reacting to the verdict, Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor Khan Md Mainul Hasan said the prosecution had sought the maximum penalty for the defendants.
“We had expected life sentences. That did not happen. We will consult with the commission before deciding our next course of action.”
Shahinur Rahman, the lawyer for former RAJUK member (estate and land) Mohammad Khurshed Alam who was also convicted in the case, voiced disappointment over the ruling.
“On Thursday, three related cases were decided and Khurshid Alam received one year jail sentences in each. The nature of this case is almost identical. We had hoped that if he was convicted, the sentence would be similar. Instead, he has been given five years. We are not satisfied and will appeal.”
Authorities deployed additional police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel across the court premises and surrounding streets, citing the “importance of the case”. Armoured police vehicles, prison vans and rapid deployment teams were positioned nearby to respond to any unrest.
Police officers and BGB personnel were stationed at the main entrances, questioning and searching anyone deemed suspicious. Extra police were also posted at the courthouse’s front verandah and entry points.
CHARGES AT A GLANCE
Prosecutors alleged that Rehana secured a 10-katha (approximately 31.25 decimal or 13,610 square feet) plot in the government’s Purbachal project "through corruption" by concealing the fact that she already owned residential property in Dhaka.
Hasina was accused of misusing her authority as prime minister to facilitate the allocation, and Tulip of exerting influence on her aunt on behalf of her mother.
Tulip faced allegations of using her “special influence” to pressure her aunt Hasina to allocate plots for her mother, brother and sister in violation of rules and eligibility criteria.
The other convicts are former state minister for housing and public works Sharif Ahmed, former private secretary to the prime minister Mohammad Salah Uddin, former senior assistant secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Purabi Golder, former RAJUK chairman Anisur Rahman Miah, former member (development control) Shafiul Haque, former member (planning) Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Nayeb Ali Sharif, Saiful Islam Sarkar, Kazi Wasi Uddin, Shahid Ullah Khandaker, Kabir Al Asad, Tanmoy Das, Md Nurul Islam, Sheikh Shahinul Islam; RAJUK Deputy Director Hafizur Rahman, Habibur Rahman, former deputy director Kamrul Islam; and assistant director Mazharul Islam.
Among the 17 defendants, only Khurshed is currently in prison. Judge Alam had previously recently handed him lighter one-year sentences in three related cases for surrendering and “showing respect to the court”.
HOW THE CASES BEGAN
In January, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) initiated six criminal cases accusing the Hasina–Rehana family of illegally securing 60 kathas (roughly 99 decimals or 43,120 square feet) of prime real estate in Purbachal using political influence and administrative manipulation.
On Nov 27, Hasina was convicted in three of those cases. Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul were each sentenced to five years in separate related cases.
Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and daughter Azmina Siddiq Ruponti are also implicated in one of the cases, which is still at the testimony stage.
FROM INVESTIGATION TO INDICTMENT
The corruption inquiries began after the July Uprising, which toppled the Awami League government. Hasina fled to India the same day and other family members also left Bangladesh.
On Dec 26, the ACC launched an inquiry after allegations surfaced in the media that six members of Hasina’s family had obtained prime plots in Purbachal without due process.
Six plots -- numbers 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 -- were allegedly allocated to Hasina, Joy, Putul, Rehana, Bobby and Ruponti.
In October, the High Court appointed a three-member committee to investigate the Purbachal allocations and broader irregularities in RAJUK’s land allotments during 2009–2024.
On Jan 13, ACC Deputy Director Salah Uddin filed the Rehana plot case implicating 15 people. Following investigation, the number of suspects was expanded to 17. Arrest warrants were issued on Apr 13. None of the defendants appeared before the court despite formal notices.
Charges were framed on Jul 13 this year, and testimony began on Aug 13, continuing through a series of hearings featuring senior RAJUK, ministry, banking, tax and registration officials.
The final witness -- the ACC’s own investigator Afnan Jannat Keya -- was cross-examined on Nov 18. Defence arguments concluded on Nov 25, when the court set Monday as verdict day.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE CHARGES?
The ACC chargesheet outlines the following accusations:
Sheikh Rehana:
Concealed existing residential property to illegally obtain a 10-katha Purbachal plot.
Made no formal application; instead requested allocation from Hasina directly.
Allocation allegedly violated multiple RAJUK rules.
Tulip Siddiq:
Allegedly pressured Hasina to grant the plot.
Accused of “direct assistance” and “exerting influence” in breach of rules.
Sheikh Hasina:
Accused of abusing power to award the plot to her sister.
Allegedly conspired with her private secretary to destroy or conceal official documents to avoid scrutiny.
Mohammad Salah Uddin (private secretary):
Allegedly issued directives to allocate the plot from the reserved quota.
Accused of destroying or removing government documents relating to the allocation.
Housing ministry officials:
- Including Saiful Islam, Purabi Goldar, Aliullah and Secretary Kazi Wasi Uddin:
Allegedly signed off on illegal allocation proposals, bypassing rules and eligibility.
RAJUK officials:
- Including former chairman Anisul Rahman Miah and senior estate/land officers:
Accused of approving allocations in a RAJUK meeting despite “clear illegality”.
A FAMILY UNDER LEGAL SIEGE
The Purbachal cases form one of the most sweeping corruption prosecutions ever brought against a Bangladeshi political family.
Since August 2024, seven members of the Hasina-Rehana family have been indicted across six cases, while Hasina herself now faces four combined 26-year sentences, a death sentence from the International Crimes Tribunal, and multiple pending corruption and abuse-of-power inquiries.
