Bangladesh Tribunal Sentences Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Death for Crimes Against Humanity

A special tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity linked to the 2024 student-led uprising that resulted in significant casualties. The tribunal also sentenced former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received a five-year prison term after pleading guilty and cooperating with the prosecution.

The verdict was delivered amid heightened security measures, including the deployment of paramilitary border guards and police across Dhaka and other regions. Hasina's Awami League party called for a nationwide shutdown in response to the ruling.

Hasina, who has been in exile in India since August 2024, was tried in absentia. She and her party have criticized the tribunal, labeling it a "kangaroo court" and denouncing the state's appointment of a lawyer to represent her. The charges stem from the violent suppression of the 2024 student-led protests, during which the United Nations estimated up to 1,400 people were killed. The interim government's health adviser reported over 800 deaths and approximately 14,000 injuries during the unrest.

Prior to the verdict, Hasina urged her supporters not to be "nervous" about the outcome. In the days leading up to the ruling, Dhaka experienced explosions and arson attacks, prompting the city's police chief to issue a "shoot-on-sight" order against those attempting to commit such acts. The Supreme Court requested military deployment around the tribunal premises to ensure security.

Following Hasina's ousting in August 2024, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership of an interim government, pledging to hold elections in February 2026. Yunus has banned the activities of the Awami League and vowed to prosecute those responsible for the violence during the protests.