Former Prime Minister, now in exile in India, denounces verdict as politically motivated; tribunal holds her responsible for 2024 protest killings
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by a special tribunal in Dhaka on charges of crimes against humanity, marking one of the most dramatic and controversial rulings in the country’s political history. The verdict was delivered in connection with the violent crackdown on student-led protests in July–August 2024, during which hundreds were killed.
Hasina was the “mastermind of the killings”, with judges stating she exercised direct control over security forces and either ordered or permitted the use of helicopters, drones and live ammunition on demonstrators. The court cited phone recordings and instructions allegedly issued by Hasina, including orders to “eliminate” protesters.
Alongside Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also awarded the death penalty, while ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received a five-year sentence after cooperating with investigators.
In her first reaction from exile in India, Hasina rejected the ruling as “biased, politically driven and legally void.” She has claimed the tribunal was set up by the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to target her politically following her government’s collapse in August 2024. Her party, the Awami League, has already been barred from contesting future elections.
The verdict has triggered heightened political tension and security alerts across Bangladesh, with fears of unrest, protests and targeted violence. Several human rights groups and Hasina’s allies have labeled the proceedings a “mock trial.”
Prosecutors, however, defended the ruling, arguing that as many as 1,400 protesters were killed during the crackdown and stating that Hasina “deserved 1,400 death sentences—one for each victim.” They called her the principal architect of the violence.
The international community is closely watching the fallout, as the ruling carries significant implications for Bangladesh’s political stability, governance and human rights record.
