Dhaka: Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for allegedly ordering a brutal crackdown on student-led protests that toppled her government in August 2024. The tribunal ruled that the violent suppression constituted crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.
Delivering the verdict, the court said Hasina had “incited attacks against protesters” and held her responsible for the widespread killings that took place during the unrest. The ruling, delivered in absentia, comes as Bangladesh approaches its general elections scheduled for February 2026, heightening political uncertainty nationwide
Details of the Verdict
The tribunal—vested with authority comparable to international war crimes courts—issued a 453-page judgment, divided into six sections, outlining the legal reasoning behind the sentence. Judges took nearly 40 minutes to read out key parts of the decision.
Key finding:
The mass killings during the protests qualify as crimes against humanity, the court ruled.
UN reports have estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed when security forces cracked down on demonstrators.
Hasina’s legal team argued she was innocent and denied that drones or helicopters were used against protesters. However, after reviewing evidence from both sides, the tribunal rejected the defence’s claims, noting that Hasina continued to post “incendiary and inflammatory remarks” online despite warnings to refrain from doing so.
🇮🇳 Living in Exile in India
Now aged 78, Hasina fled Dhaka during the uprising and has since been living in India. She repeatedly ignored court summons to participate in the trial, describing the proceedings as “a judicial farce.”
Prosecutors charged her with five counts, including failure to prevent mass killings. Co-accused individuals include:
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Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Home Minister, currently absconding
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Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former Police Chief, in custody and reported to have confessed
Dhaka Under Heavy Security
As caretaker leader Muhammad Yunus’s government struggles to maintain stability, authorities deployed extensive security measures across Dhaka ahead of the verdict. Nearly half of the city’s 34,000-strong police force was assigned to guard duty, with armoured vehicles stationed at key intersections and multiple checkpoints set up across the capital.
A recent spate of bomb attacks has further heightened fears of renewed unrest. In October, Hasina told AFP that the verdict against her was “pre-determined” and accused the interim government of deepening the country’s political crisis by banning her Awami League party.
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