A Bangladeshi court has handed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina a 21-year prison term on corruption charges, marking the latest in a series of severe legal blows against the ex-leader.

The ruling comes just a week after she was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

Hasina, 78, has been living in India since her removal from power and has repeatedly ignored summonses to return home.

On November 17, she was sentenced in absentia to execution for allegedly ordering a violent suppression of a student-led uprising last year, an event that ultimately triggered her downfall.

The latest conviction relates to three corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), accusing Hasina of illegally acquiring prime land in a district near Dhaka for personal and family benefit.

Judge Abdullah Al Mamun, while delivering the verdict, said Hasina’s actions reflected “a deep-seated pattern of corruption rooted in entitlement and unchecked authority,” accusing her of using state resources as though they were private property.

Her two children, US-based Sajeeb Wazed and UN official Saima Wazed, received five-year prison sentences each in connection with the same charges.

Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, escaping the country by helicopter after weeks of mass demonstrations against what protesters described as her increasingly authoritarian rule.

Public prosecutor Khan Moinul Hasan expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s ruling, saying the prosecution had sought the maximum penalty.

He indicated plans to appeal after consulting with the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Bangladesh has remained politically unstable since Hasina’s exit, with violent clashes overshadowing preparations for national elections scheduled for February 2026.

According to the United Nations, as many as 1,400 people were killed during the government’s crackdown on opposition and protesters before her administration collapsed.

Hasina has dismissed both the corruption rulings and the earlier death sentence as politically motivated, calling them biased attempts to tarnish her legacy.

She still faces several additional corruption cases, alongside her sister Sheikh Rehana and her daughter, British MP Tulip Siddiq.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has safely exited Guinea-Bissau following the military coup that toppled the government of the West African nation.

Jonathan had been in the country leading the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission during last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday that Jonathan departed aboard a special flight along with members of his delegation.

“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau. He left with a special flight with members of his delegation, including Ibn Chambas,” ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa stated.

Jonathan’s safe evacuation came shortly after Nigeria’s House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to ensure his protection in the wake of the coup.

Tensions in Guinea-Bissau escalated on Wednesday after military officers announced they had seized full control of the country.

In a briefing, General Denis N’Canha, who heads the presidential military office, declared that a command structure involving all branches of the armed forces had taken charge “until further notice.”

Borders were shut, and the electoral process was suspended just three days after citizens voted.

Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, widely viewed as the frontrunner in Sunday’s elections, was detained.

By Thursday, the military named the army’s chief of staff, General Horta N’Tam, as interim leader for a one-year transition period.

Reacting to the development, the Nigerian government strongly denounced the coup, describing it as a major setback for democracy in the region.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern, calling the power grab “unfortunate” and contrary to the democratic norms enshrined in ECOWAS protocols.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, in the strongest possible terms, condemns this act of military insurrection,” Ebienfa said, emphasising that such actions threaten stability in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.

Nigeria called for the immediate restoration of democratic governance and the release of all detained officials.

Regional and continental election observer groups, including ECOWAS, the African Union, and the West African Elders Forum, also voiced alarm over the coup.

In a joint statement signed by Jonathan, AU mission head and former Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, and ECOWAS mission head Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara, the observers condemned the military’s actions.

They noted that the coup came just after they met with the two leading presidential candidates, both of whom had pledged to respect the outcome of the polls.

“We deplore this blatant attempt to derail the democratic process,” the statement read, urging ECOWAS and the AU to take necessary measures to help restore constitutional order.

Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces have appointed General Horta N’Tam as the country’s new leader for a one-year transition period, one day after soldiers took control of the government, detained President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and halted the release of election results.

The streets around the presidential palace in Bissau remained tense on Thursday, with soldiers patrolling the area where heavy gunfire had erupted the day before.

Only a handful of civilians were seen moving along the normally busy road leading to the complex.

General N’Tam, previously the army’s chief of staff and widely regarded as an ally of Embalo, took his oath at military headquarters.

“I have just been sworn in to lead the High Command,” he said, according to AFP journalists present. Dozens of heavily armed soldiers surrounded the compound during his address.

N’Tam insisted that the operation was necessary “to block activities that threatened our democracy,” adding that immediate measures were required to stabilise the country.

The takeover began on Wednesday when a group of senior officers announced they had assumed “total control” of Guinea-Bissau.

They suspended the electoral process as the nation awaited results from Sunday’s polls, which Embalo had been tipped to win.

General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, accused unnamed “drug lords” of plotting to undermine the constitutional order by smuggling weapons into the country.

He said the plot had justified the military intervention.

Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has endured four successful coups and numerous failed attempts, gaining a reputation as one of West Africa’s most politically fragile states.

Following the coup, the military suspended all media programming, imposed a nationwide curfew and shut land, air and sea borders, though General Lassana Mansali announced on Thursday that borders had been reopened.

President Embalo is currently being held at the armed forces’ general-staff headquarters and “well-treated”, according to military sources.

Senior officials, including the chief of staff and the interior minister, were also detained.

Opposition figure Domingos Simoes Pereira, who was disqualified from contesting last weekend’s presidential election by the Supreme Court, was arrested as well, sources close to him confirmed.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued a strong statement condemning the coup and reaffirming its “zero tolerance” stance toward unconstitutional changes of government.

The United Nations also expressed alarm, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres monitoring developments “with deep concern”.

Portugal, Guinea-Bissau’s former colonial ruler, urged restraint and warned against any form of violence.

Reporters Without Borders criticised the shutdown of the media as a “grave attack on the right to information”, stressing the public’s need for reliable updates during a political crisis.

Guinea-Bissau, one of the poorest countries in the world, has long served as a transit point for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, an issue often exacerbated by political turmoil.

Security and stability remain central concerns for citizens, especially as the army reported foiling an attempted plot to undermine the constitutional order just last month.

The coup adds to a growing list of military takeovers in West Africa in recent years, joining Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has been unable to leave Guinea-Bissau following a sudden military takeover, prompting the House of Representatives to call on the Federal Government to secure his safe return.

Jonathan, who was in the country as part of a joint observation mission of the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), had travelled to Bissau to monitor last weekend’s presidential election.

During Thursday’s plenary, lawmakers urged the government to deploy every diplomatic tool available to ensure Jonathan’s safe evacuation.

They also appealed for assistance for other Nigerians currently stranded in the country.

The appeal comes a day after military officers seized control of the government, suspending the electoral process and shutting the nation’s borders.

On Wednesday, General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, announced that a unified military command comprising all branches of the armed forces had taken over the leadership of the country “until further notice.”

He made the declaration at a press briefing surrounded by armed soldiers.

According to AFP reports, incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, widely expected to win the election, was detained inside the presidential palace.

Several top officials, including the chief of staff General Biague Na Ntan, deputy chief of staff General Mamadou Traoré, and Interior Minister Botche Candé, were also arrested.

ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Nigerian government have all condemned the military action.

In statements released shortly after the coup announcement, the observer missions expressed deep concern, noting that the armed takeover occurred just after their meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, both of whom had pledged to respect the election results.

They called for the immediate restoration of constitutional order and the release of all detained officials.

Detained President Embalo,

Election monitoring teams from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) have strongly criticized the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, urging the junta to immediately free government officials arrested during the upheaval.

The joint statement was issued by Goodluck Jonathan, former Nigerian president and head of the West African Elders Forum; Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, former president of Mozambique and head of the AU Election Observation Mission and Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara, head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission.

According to the observers, voting across the country had been calm and orderly.

However, they expressed “deep concern” over the military’s announcement of a coup while the nation awaited official election results.

They noted that the development was particularly troubling because they had just concluded meetings with the two leading presidential candidates, both of whom had pledged to respect the outcome of the polls.

The statement condemned what it described as an attempt to undermine democratic progress and urged ECOWAS and the AU to act swiftly to restore constitutional governance.

The missions also called on citizens to remain peaceful during the political uncertainty, stressing the importance of safeguarding stability and the well-being of the population at this critical time.

On Wednesday, Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces declared they had taken “total control” of the state, suspending the electoral process and shutting the country’s borders, three days after legislative and presidential elections took place in the economically challenged West African nation.

General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, announced that a unified command structure from all branches of the military would oversee the country “until further notice.”

He delivered the statement while flanked by armed soldiers.

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, considered the frontrunner in the election, was reported to be inside a building behind military headquarters with the chief of staff and the interior minister when the coup unfolded.

Embalo later confirmed he had been arrested inside the presidential palace.

Among those detained are: General Biague Na Ntan, Chief of Staff, General Mamadou Traore, Deputy Chief of Staff and Botche Cande, Interior Minister.