Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has been sentenced to death by the country’s international crimes tribunal for crimes against humanity.
The 78-year-old, currently in India and refusing to return to face trial, was tried in absentia and convicted on three counts, including incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities.
Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder delivered the verdict in a crowded Dhaka courtroom, stating that all elements of the alleged crimes had been established.
Also sentenced were former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who received the death penalty on four similar counts, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.
The judgment was broadcast live nationwide, occurring ahead of elections scheduled for February 2026. Since the end of Hasina’s administration, Bangladesh has experienced increased political instability and sporadic violence.
The United Nations estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during crackdowns in the final months of Hasina’s tenure—a figure highlighted in the prosecution’s case. Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam expressed hope that the ruling would satisfy public demand for justice.
Hasina has rejected the tribunal’s authority, describing the trial as politically motivated and “preordained.” She was assigned a state lawyer after refusing to participate in proceedings.
The interim government called the verdict “historic” and urged citizens to remain calm and orderly. However, tensions immediately surged across the country. Security forces were deployed in major cities, including Dhaka, where tear gas was used to disperse protesters.
In the days leading up to the ruling, Bangladesh had already faced unrest, with at least 30 crude bomb explosions and 26 vehicles set on fire.
Sajeeb Wazed, Hasina’s son and former government adviser, said he expected the death sentence. He confirmed that his mother is safe in India under the protection of Indian security forces.
The tribunal, initially established by Hasina’s Awami League government in 2010 to prosecute crimes from the 1971 liberation war, was reconstituted by the interim administration following her ouster in August 2024.
