DHAKA, Bangladesh — A courtroom in Bangladesh’s capital sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 5 years in jail and her niece, British Labour Occasion lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, to 2 years in jail Monday for corruption involving a authorities land undertaking.

Rabiul Alam, the choose of Dhaka’s Particular Choose’s Court docket, stated Hasina misused her energy as prime minister whereas Siddiq was responsible of corruptly influencing her aunt in serving to her mom and two siblings get a land plot in a authorities undertaking. Siddiq’s mom, Sheikh Rehana, was given seven years in jail and was thought of the prime participant within the case.

The choose additionally fined the three $813 every and ordered the cancellation of the allotted plot for Rehana.

There are 14 different suspects.

Khan Mohammed Mainul Hasan, the corruption watchdog’s prosecutor, stated that they had sought life in jail for the prime defendants.

“We anticipated life sentences, (however) that didn’t occur. We are going to seek the advice of with the fee for our subsequent plan of action,” he stated.

The prosecution stated Siddiq was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen and authorities stated they obtained a passport, her nationwide id card and tax quantity. However Siddiq disputed the declare and stated she is a British citizen, not a Bangladeshi citizen.

Siddiq, who represents London’s Hampstead and Highgate areas in Britain’s Parliament, had earlier denied the allegations and stated the trial was a farce constructed on “fabricated accusations and pushed by a transparent political vendetta.”

In January, Siddiq resigned as a authorities minister within the Cupboard of Prime Minister Keir Starmer underneath strain due to her ties to her aunt. Siddiq had stated she had been cleared of wrongdoing however was quitting as financial secretary to the Treasury as a result of the problem was changing into “a distraction from the work of the federal government.”

Hasina was sentenced to loss of life in November for crimes towards humanity involving the crackdown on the mass rebellion that ended her 15-year rule final 12 months. She lives in exile in India, and all of her trials have been performed in absentia.

She and the others within the case determined Monday didn’t appoint any protection attorneys to characterize them.

Rehana is staying outdoors the nation and Siddiq’s two siblings are additionally overseas as they face different expenses involving final 12 months’s rebellion.

In three separate circumstances involving the identical township undertaking, a separate courtroom on Nov. 27 sentenced Hasina to 21 years in jail. Hasina’s son and daughter have been additionally sentenced to 5 years in jail every by the courtroom in that case.

The nation is now run by an interim authorities headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus who declared the subsequent parliamentary election might be held in February.