Sheikh Hasina sentenced to 21 years in jail in corruption cases — Does this nullify her death penalty?

A Bangladesh court on Thursday sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in jail in three corruption cases related to irregularities in the allocation of land in a government housing project.

Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 sentenced the 78-year-old former premier to seven years each in three cases of corruption related to the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachal, totalling 21 years, PTI reported.

The judge said Hasina would serve them consecutively.

The judge also fined Hasina Taka one lakh in each case, or 18 months more in prison if she failed to submit the amount. Judge Mamun also sentenced Hasina's son, Sajib Wajed Joy, and daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, to five years imprisonment each in the corruption cases filed against them over the housing project near the capital.

Joy and Putul were fined Taka one lakh each, or one month more in case of default. “The plot was allotted to Sheikh Hasina without any application and in a manner that exceeded the legally authorised jurisdiction,” Judge Mamun said while delivering the judgment, PTI reported.

The judgement came 10 days after Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal for “crimes against humanity” over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests last year.

Hasina maintains the charges against her are “biased and politically motivated”.

Where is Hasina?

Hasina has been living in India since 5 August last year, when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's 16-year regime.

She was earlier declared a fugitive by a court.

A day earlier, Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain said Bangladesh is awaiting a response from India regarding its earlier request to extradite Hasina, noting that “the situation has changed now” since the judicial process is complete and the former prime minister has been convicted.

What did India say on Bangladesh's request to extradite Hasina?

On Wednesday, India said it is reviewing the interim government's request for Hasina’s extradition and emphasised that it remains committed to safeguarding the interests of the Bangladeshi people.

Addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that New Delhi had formally received Dhaka's communication over the matter, stressing that India remains committed to Bangladesh's stability and the well-being of its people as part of its “ongoing judicial and internal legal processes”.

“Yes, we have received the request, and this request is being examined. As part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes, we remain committed to the best interest of the people of Bangladesh, including peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country, and will continue to engage constructively in this regard with all state stakeholders,” Jaiswal said.

Since the fall of the Hasina administration, most Awami League leaders have either been detained or have fled the country.

Will the death penalty be nullified?

No, the 21-year prison sentence for Sheikh Hasina in the corruption cases does not nullify her death penalty.

The death penalty was imposed by the International Crimes Tribunal (for international crimes), and the prison term was imposed by a regular anti-corruption court. Under Bangladeshi law, multiple convictions don't automatically cancel harsher penalties, and the death sentence takes precedence if enforced.

The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (CrPC), and Section 35 of the Penal Code, 1860, separate convictions for different offences and do not automatically cancel a harsher sentence, such as the death penalty.

The corruption ruling doesn't affect the crimes against humanity verdict, and no appeals or legal actions have overturned the death penalty as of now.

However, Hasina's lawyers filed an appeal with the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, citing fair trial concerns, but no domestic appeal has been heard or decided.

Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since the end of Hasina's rule, and violence has marred campaigning for elections slated for February 2026.

The United Nations says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as Hasina tried to cling to power.

(With inputs from agencies)