Bangladesh’s ousted PM Sheikh Hasina has been handed the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal for “crimes against humanity” linked to last year’s student uprising. The verdict sparks fears of fresh unrest as elections near.
Dhaka: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on Monday given the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka. The court found her guilty of “crimes against humanity” connected to the student protests last year, which finally led to the fall of her Awami League government.
This is one of the most serious legal decisions ever taken against a former Bangladeshi leader, especially with national elections expected in early February.
Hasina, who is 78 years old, did not follow the court’s order to return from India and attend the trial. The tribunal examined whether she had ordered a violent crackdown on the student-led movement that pushed her out of office.
The judgment said she would face life imprisonment for crimes against humanity and a separate death sentence for her alleged involvement in the killing of several people during the unrest.
According to the tribunal’s charge document, the court said:
“…Sheikh Hasina has committed crimes against humanity. Six protesters at Chankharpul were killed using lethal weapons on August 5. By issuing orders and through the inaction of Sheikh Hasina, the then home minister, and the IG of police, the students were killed. These killings happened under the orders and full knowledge of PM Sheikh Hasina. By such acts, they committed crimes against humanity.”
The tribunal held Hasina responsible both for giving direct commands and for failing to prevent the killings during the students’ movement. The ICT also sentenced former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death.
Former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received a five-year jail term. As reported by The Daily Star, the tribunal ordered the government to take over the properties owned by Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, started reading from the 453-page judgment at around 12:30 pm in a heavily guarded courtroom that was completely packed.
The Awami League has already been banned from contesting the upcoming elections, and many fear that the verdict could lead to new tensions across the country. The decision can still be appealed in the Supreme Court.
After the court delivered the verdict, Hasina issued a strong reaction from India, where she has been staying despite orders to return. She criticised the judgment, saying it was politically influenced.
She said:
“biased and politically motivated.”
She also said the tribunal that convicted her was not legitimate and was created by those in power to destroy her party’s reputation.
Her full statement read:
“The verdicts announced against me have been made by a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate,”
she said in her written statement.
Before the ICT delivered its judgment, Hasina had already accused her political rivals of controlling the court. She argued that they were trying to damage the Awami League and hide their own failures. She also appealed to India to stand by the democratic rights of Bangladesh’s people.
She said:
“India is our country’s most important ally and would understandably prefer to deal with a regime in Dhaka that was legitimized by a popular vote. So, I ask our friends in India to continue their call for Yunus (chief adviser) and his cronies to respect democratic norms and not to disenfranchise millions of Bangladeshis,”
Hasina told TOI in her written response last week.
Hasina, who is Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, was facing multiple charges after widespread protests forced her resignation in August 2024.
A UN rights office report stated that nearly 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 during the “July Uprising,” after the government launched a major security operation.
Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were later declared fugitives and tried in their absence. Former police chief Mamun initially appeared before the court but later turned approver.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam described Hasina as the “mastermind and principal architect” of the attacks on protesters, while her supporters argue that the entire case is politically motivated.
Hasina left Bangladesh on the same day she resigned and has since been living in India. Kamal is also believed to be staying in India.
The interim government under Muhammad Yunus has already requested India to send Hasina back, but New Delhi has not given any reply so far.
Before the verdict, security was tightened across Bangladesh. On Sunday, Dhaka Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali issued strict orders, including shoot-at-sight directions against anyone involved in arson, blasts, or attacks on civilians or police.
A day before the verdict, thousands of people held demonstrations in Dhaka in support of Hasina.
The situation became tense after several crude bombs exploded in different parts of the city. No injuries were reported, but the incidents increased fear and security was tightened overnight.
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