Death penalty for Sheikh Hasina: Bangladesh Court holds ex-leader accountable for ‘crimes against humanity’

A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty of committing crimes against humanity during the July–August 2024 student-led uprising. The verdict — reportedly delivered in Hasina’s absence,  held that she and two senior officials orchestrated and enabled large-scale atrocities that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 people, according to media reports.

The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh reportedly held Hasina responsible for all five charges, including ordering the use of drones, helicopters and live ammunition against protesters, incitement leading to mass killings, and failing to prevent or punish security forces.

Former police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is now in custody and has turned state witness.  Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also reportedly convicted in absentia. 

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Justice Golam Murtaza, heading the three-member bench, read the judgment live on national television. The court stated that Hasina “ordered the killing of protesting students” and oversaw operations linked to executions and the burning of bodies in Ashulia. Reportedly, the charges also include the killing of student activist Abu Sayeed and coordinated shootings in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area.

Security was tightened around the Tribunal as victim families demanded the harshest punishment. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Hasina and Kamal, insisting the evidence, spanning 8,747 pages, proved systematic state-backed violence.

The now-banned Awami League announced a nationwide shutdown in protest, with scattered crude bomb blasts and arson reported. Hasina’s defence dismissed the charges as fabricated, arguing that no evidence shows she ordered violence. The investigation and trial proceeded in absentia after she sought refuge in New Delhi in August 2024.