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Published : 27 Nov 2025, 11:53 AM
A Dhaka court has sentenced Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladeshi prime minister ousted by the July Uprising, to a total of 21 years in jail in three cases over corruption in the allocation of plots in Dhaka's Purbachal New Town Project.
Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul, each accused in a case alongside their mother, have both been sentenced to five years in prison.
The three have been convicted of “hiding information on” houses, flats, or housing facilities in Dhaka city to illegally obtain three 10-katha plots of land in the project through the exploitation of state power.
Dhaka Special Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun delivered the verdicts in the three cases on Thursday.
The International Crimes Tribunal had previously sentenced Hasina to death on Nov 17 in a case over crimes against humanity in her attempts to suppress the July Uprising.
Hasina becomes the second Bangladeshi head of state or government to be sentenced to prison for graft.
Aside from the Hasina family, 20 other suspects were accused in the three cases.
Former RAJUK member (estate and land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam was the only suspect in custody during the trial. He surrendered to the court on Oct 29 and petitioned for bail. It was denied by the court and he was sent to jail.
He was brought to court for the verdict and, in light of his surrender to the court, was given a lighter sentence of one year in prison in each of the three cases for a total of three years in jail.
On Nov 17, Hasina was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for crimes against humanity in suppressing the July Uprising 2024. Following the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, allegations of mismanagement and corruption from her administration surfaced, with the first verdict on these cases scheduled for Thursday.
In January, the ACC filed six separate cases over the allocation of 60 katha of plots in the Purbachal New Town project, naming Hasina, Sajeeb, Saima, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and her nieces and nephew Tulip Siddiq, Azmina Siddique Ruponti, and Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby.
Three cases involving Hasina’s immediate family are being tried together, while Rehana’s family faces another set of three cases concurrently.
On Jul 31, the court framed charges against 23 individuals across these cases. The verdict date was set after closing arguments for Hasina’s family on Nov 23, while Rehana’s family’s hearing concluded on Nov 25 with a Dec 1 verdict scheduled.
|
Suspect |
Identity |
Sentence |
|
Sheikh Hasina |
Former PM |
7 years in prison in 3 cases – total 21 years in jail |
|
Sajeeb Wazed Joy |
Hasina’s son |
5 years in jail in 1 case |
|
Saima Wazed Putul |
Hasina’s daughter |
5 years in jail in 1 case |
|
Sharif Ahmed |
Former state minister for housing and public works |
6 years in prison in 3 cases – total 18 years in jail |
|
Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker |
Former secretary of housing and public works |
6 years in prison in 3 cases – total 18 years in jail |
|
Kazi Wasi Uddin |
Former secretary of housing and public works |
6 years in prison in 3 cases – total 18 years in jail |
|
Purabi Golder |
Former assistant secretary of housing and public works |
6 years in prison in 3 cases – total 18 years in jail |
|
Mohammad Salah Uddin |
Former personal secretary to the prime minister |
6 years in prison in 2 cases – total 12 years in jail |
|
Mohammad Khurshid Alam |
Former RAJUK member (estate and land) |
1 year in jail in 3 cases – total 3 years in jail |
LAWSUIT TO JUDGEMENT
Following the Uprising, Hasina fled to India along with other family members. Investigations into multiple cases began immediately. On Dec 26, the graftbusters opened an inquiry into irregularities in the allocation of six plots in Purbachal New Town under the names of Hasina and five family members.
According to documents reviewed by the ACC, Hasina was granted a 10-katha plot (plot no. 009) on Aug 3, 2022, with a RAJUK allotment letter issued in her name.
Joy’s allotment letter was issued on Oct 24, 2022, with the ownership finalised on Nov 10, 2024. Meanwhile, Putul’s allocation was confirmed on Nov 2, 2024.
Similarly, her son Joy (plot no. 015), and daughter Putul (plot no. 017) received 10 katha each.
Rehana secured 10 katha (plot no. 013), while her children, Radwan (plot no. 011) and Azmina (plot no. 019), were also allocated 10 katha each.
The allegations came under heightened scrutiny last year when the High Court formed a three-strong committee to examine potential irregularities in the allocation of plots.
On Jan 14, ACC Deputy Director Salah Uddin filed a case against Hasina and seven others; following the investigation, ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya submitted charges against 12 defendants, including four additional individuals identified during the probe, on Mar 10.
On Jan 12, the ACC also filed a case against Putul and 16 others.
The chargesheets allege that Putul and her family members already owned houses, flats, or other residential properties in RAJUK areas of Dhaka city.
Concealing this information, Putul secured a plot allocation in the Purbachal New Town project. During this period, Hasina, at the highest level of government, is accused of influencing responsible officials and misusing her authority.
The indictment states that the defendants colluded to benefit themselves and others by allocating plots in Putul’s name, with allegations of bribery also cited.
On Mar 10, investigation officer Keya submitted chargesheets against a total of 18 suspects, including two additional suspects identified during the investigation.
For Joy’s plot, ACC Deputy Director SM Rashedul Hasan filed a case on Jan 14 against 16 others, including Hasina. Following the investigation, on Mar 24, he submitted charges against 17 defendants, including two additional individuals identified during the probe.
In April, the court accepted the charges and issued arrest warrants for Hasina, Joy, Putul, and 23 others. Police were instructed to report whether the suspects were apprehended. None could be arrested.
Gazette notifications summoned them to appear in court, yet they remained absent.
On Jul 31, Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun formally framed charges for the three cases, initiating trial proceedings. Witness testimony began on Aug 11, starting with ACC Deputy Director Salah for Hasina’s plot case, Keya for Putul’s case, and Rashedul for Joy’s case.
On Aug 26, 17 witnesses were examined, including RAJUK Deputy Director Md Mahbubur Rahman, assistant directors Asim Shil, Ullas Chowdhury, Sourav Das, and Dhiraj Chandra Barman; housing ministry officer Akhtar Jahan, and housing ministry office assistant Shafiqul Islam. Of these, six testified in both Hasina and Putul’s cases, and five in Joy’s case.
On Sept 2, 18 witnesses were examined across all three cases, including Sonali Bank officials, tax clerks, and housing ministry assistants. On Sept 17, 10 additional witnesses testified, including Dhaka metropolitan magistrates, personal officers, and bank cashiers.
On Sept 30, nine witnesses appeared for Hasina and Joy, while no testimony was recorded for Putul that day. Witnesses included principal advisors, sub-registrars, housing ministry clerks, and metropolitan magistrates. Four testified in Hasina’s case, five in Joy’s.
On Oct 15, 12 witnesses appeared, including director-2 of the Prime Minister’s Office, RAJUK Deputy Secretary Tanzillur Rahman, clerks, and sub-registrars, distributed across Hasina (5), Putul (5), and Joy’s (2) cases.
On Oct 29, former RAJUK member Khurshid surrendered and applied for bail, which was rejected; he was remanded to jail. Eight witnesses were examined that day, including housing ministry Joint Secretary Jahirul Islam Khan, bank assistant managers and principal officers, and ACC officials.
With all other suspects absconding, trials were initially one-sided. After Khurshid’s surrender, witness examination began; before that, only witness statements were recorded.
On Nov 3, ACC assistant directors Keya (Hasina’s case) and Rashedul (Joy’s case), along with RAJUK officer Tanzillur, testified, though the investigators’ examination was not complete. On Nov 6, further testimony was recorded. Khurshid was permitted to cross-examine witnesses.
By Nov 10, testimony concluded in Hasina’s case, though Joy and Putul cases continued. Khurshid maintained his innocence during self-defence hearings in Hasina’s case; other absconding defendants could not present their defence.
The court scheduled Nov 23 for closing arguments in Hasina’s case, with self-defence and final submissions for Joy and Putul to follow. On Nov 23, arguments in Hasina’s case concluded, and the court fixed Thursday for the verdict in Joy and Putul’s cases after completing self-defence hearings and submissions.
In all three cases, new names appeared in the investigation alongside those listed in the original FIRs.
Investigators detailed the allegations against each suspect in the chargesheets.
CHARGES IN FIRST PLOT CASE
Hasina: While serving as prime minister, Hasina obtained a plot in the Purbachal New Town housing project by concealing the fact that she already had ownership of houses, flats, or residential facilities in Dhaka in her own name and in the names of her son, daughter, sister, and her sister’s two children. This violated the laws and allocation policies.
CHARGES IN SECOND PLOT CASE
Joy: Despite having housing facilities in the RAJUK area, Joy concealed the information in the affidavit and obtained a 10-katha plot in the Purbachal New Town housing project, violating allocation laws and regulations, with the influence of his mother Hasina.
Hasina: While serving as prime minister, Hasina “misused” her power to arrange the plot allocation for her son, providing financial benefit to the family.
CHARGES IN THIRD PLOT CASE
Putul: Despite having housing facilities in the RAJUK area, Putul concealed the information in the affidavit and obtained a 10-katha plot in the Purbachal New Town housing project without submitting any application to RAJUK, violating allocation laws and regulations and influencing her mother Hasina.
Hasina: While serving as prime minister, Hasina misused her power to arrange the plot allocation for her daughter, providing financial benefit to the family. She, together with Salah Uddin, destroyed or caused to disappear a document from the Prime Minister’s Office to protect themselves and others from punishment.
Hasina has now become one of three former Bangladeshi heads of state or government convicted of corruption.
Previously, during the Awami League government, Khaleda Zia received sentences in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases, but was acquitted on appeal after a political change.
Former military ruler HM Ershad faced over a dozen corruption cases, including Janata Tower, in which he was convicted.
