Bangladesh Tribunal Sentences Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Death for 2024 Protest Crackdown

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity related to the violent suppression of student protests in 2024. The tribunal found Hasina guilty of ordering the use of lethal force, including drones and helicopters, against demonstrators, leading to over 1,400 deaths and thousands of injuries. Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan received a similar sentence, while ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was sentenced to five years in prison after cooperating with the prosecution.

Hasina, who fled to India following her ouster in August 2024, denounced the verdict as "biased and politically motivated," asserting that the tribunal was "rigged by an unelected government." She maintained that the government's response to the protests was not premeditated and expressed willingness to face a fair trial.

The student-led protests erupted over a controversial government policy reserving 30% of civil service jobs for veterans' families, escalating into widespread demonstrations. The United Nations and human rights organizations condemned the government's response as a calculated effort to suppress mass dissent, involving extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions.

In the aftermath, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership of an interim government, banning Hasina's Awami League party and pledging to hold elections in February. Yunus welcomed the tribunal's verdict, emphasizing that "no one is above the law."

India, where Hasina currently resides, has declined Bangladesh's extradition requests, leading to diplomatic tensions between the neighboring countries.

The tribunal's decision has sparked nationwide protests and unrest, with reports of arson attacks and bombings. Security forces have been deployed to maintain order as the country prepares for the upcoming elections.

Amnesty International criticized the trial, stating that while those responsible for the 2024 violence must be held accountable, the proceedings were neither fair nor just, and the death penalty only compounds human rights violations.