Dhaka, Feb 02 (V7N) — A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 10 years in prison in two separate cases over abuse of power in the allocation of government plots under the Purbachal New City project of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).

Each case carries a five-year prison term, according to the verdict delivered by Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4.

In the same verdict, Tulip Siddique, daughter of Sheikh Hasina’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana and a British Member of Parliament, was sentenced to a total of four years in prison—two years in each case—along with a fine of Tk 100,000.

The court also sentenced Azmina Siddique and Radwan Mujib Siddique to seven years of imprisonment each, and declared their Purbachal plot allocations illegal and void.

RAJUK member Khurshid Alam was sentenced to one year in prison and fined Tk 100,000, while 14 officials from RAJUK and the Ministry of Public Works were each sentenced to five years in prison.

According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Sheikh Hasina abused her authority to facilitate the allocation of 20 kathas of land in Purbachal in the names of Azmina Siddique and Radwan Siddique Bobby. The ACC further alleged that the beneficiaries concealed information about their existing immovable properties in Dhaka in their affidavits.

The investigation also found that Tulip Siddique influenced Sheikh Hasina to secure plot allocations for her siblings.

Following the investigation, the ACC filed two cases, charging a total of 22 individuals. The court noted that Sheikh Hasina and her family members had previously been convicted in four other cases on similar allegations.

The verdict marks another significant development in a series of corruption cases related to the controversial Purbachal plot allocation.

END/SMA/AJ