A special court in Bangladesh has sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in two corruption cases tied to alleged irregularities in the allocation of government housing plots near Dhaka.

The ruling, delivered by Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court, found the 79-year-old former leader guilty of abusing her authority in the Rajuk New Town housing project in Purbachal. The court said she improperly influenced the allotment of residential plots to multiple individuals, including close family members such as her nieces and nephew.

Among those sentenced were UK Labour MP Tulip Siddiq’s siblings, Azaman Siddiq and Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, who each received seven-year prison terms. Several other former officials — including ex-ministers, senior bureaucrats, and Rajuk executives — were also handed multi-year sentences. Only one accused government official appeared in court, while the rest were tried in absentia.

The judge stated that the verdict was issued despite the accused being outside the country, asserting that the legal process proceeded without obstruction.

Hasina’s Awami League party has condemned the ruling, calling the cases politically motivated and accusing Bangladesh’s interim administration under Muhammad Yunus of orchestrating false charges. Tulip Siddiq has likewise criticized the proceedings, describing them as deeply flawed and claiming she was never formally notified or summoned by Bangladeshi authorities.

The verdict follows months of intensified legal action against Hasina and her family since her government was overthrown during nationwide protests in August 2024. Since then, multiple cases — including corruption and alleged crimes against humanity — have been initiated against the former premier, who is currently in exile in India.

Earlier rulings have already imposed lengthy prison sentences on Hasina and her children in related land-allocation cases, reflecting a broader crackdown by the interim government on former political leaders.