DHAKA – In a landmark ruling on Monday, a court in Bangladesh’s capital handed down a five-year prison sentence to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, alongside a two-year sentence for her niece, Tulip Siddiq, a member of the British Labour Party. The charges stem from corruption tied to a government land initiative.

Presiding over the case, Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court declared that Hasina had exploited her authority during her tenure as prime minister. Siddiq was implicated for exerting undue influence to assist her mother in acquiring land through a state-sponsored project. Her mother, Sheikh Rehana, was identified as the primary offender and received a seven-year sentence.

The case revolves around the Purbachal New Town development, located in a suburban area of Dhaka.

Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate in the British Parliament, has consistently refuted the accusations.

Exiled in India since a popular uprising unseated her last year, Hasina faced this and other legal proceedings in her absence.