A special court in Bangladesh has handed down a death sentence to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, declaring her guilty of crimes against humanity in connection with the deadly crackdown on a student‑led uprising in July and August 2024.
Hasina, who has been in India after fleeing Bangladesh last year, was tried and convicted in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal‑1 (ICT) alongside her former home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, who was also sentenced to death. A former police chief who cooperated with prosecutors received a five-year prison term.
According to CNN, prosecutors accused Hasina of orchestrating a brutal response to the student uprising, citing evidence that she ordered the use of lethal force and failed to prevent mass killings.
Up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the protests, according to a UN report, marking the most severe violence in Bangladesh since its independence war.
ICT Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder, announcing the verdict, said it was “crystal clear” that Hasina “gave incitement to her party” and “ordered to eliminate the student protesters.”
Hasina, however, strongly rejected the ruling.
In a statement, she said, “The verdicts announced against me have been made by a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate. They are biased and politically motivated.”
She added, “In their distasteful call for the death penalty, they reveal the brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government to remove Bangladesh’s last elected prime minister, and to nullify the Awami League as a political force.”
The case comes amid deep political instability in Bangladesh.
After Hasina’s ouster in early August, the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus took power, and the Awami League party was banned from contesting the upcoming elections.
According to Reuters, Security was tightened across the country ahead of the verdict, with multiple crude bombings and vehicle arsons reported. The army and paramilitary forces were deployed around key sites.
The verdict allows for appeal to Bangladesh’s Supreme Court, but only if Hasina is arrested or surrenders within 30 days of the judgment.
With her in exile and India yet to respond to extradition requests, it remains uncertain whether she will participate.
Across Dhaka, supporters and opponents watched the outcome with anxiety.
Supporters condemned the verdict as a political tactic to eliminate a powerful opposition figure, while others hailed it as overdue accountability for a brutal crackdown.
The country now faces a critical moment, with elections scheduled for February 2026.