Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To Death By Bangladesh Tribunal; Ex-PM Calls Verdict ‘Manipulated’

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has handed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina a death sentence after holding her responsible for severe human-rights violations linked to the 2024 student-led protests that toppled her government. The judgment, delivered under heavy security in Dhaka, also convicted her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on similar charges, although Al-Mamun received a lighter five-year prison term after pleading guilty and cooperating with investigators.

The court stated that Hasina authorised deadly force, including the use of helicopters, drones, and live ammunition on unarmed demonstrators. The panel cited five key charges: orchestrating mass killings in Dhaka, ordering aerial attacks on crowds, involvement in the murder of student activist Abu Sayed, destruction of bodies to erase evidence, and the organised killing of protesters in Chankharpul. It determined that the evidence—comprising thousands of documents, numerous recordings, ballistic logs, witness statements and medical reports—was authentic and unaltered.

Hasina, who has been living in exile in New Delhi since August 2024, was tried in her absence along with Khan, whose current location is unknown. The tribunal said that their refusal to appear amounted to an admission of guilt. The interim government under Muhammad Yunus maintained that the proceedings were transparent and free from political influence.

Reacting from abroad, Hasina dismissed the verdict as fabricated and illegitimate, insisting that she never ordered force against peaceful citizens and calling the entire process a “rigged” attempt to silence her. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed, echoed the sentiment, saying the outcome was expected but that she remains protected in India.

The verdict sparked emotional scenes inside the courtroom, where families of those killed during the uprising broke into tears and applause. Meanwhile, protests escalated in Dhaka, with crowds gathering near her family home and authorities deploying police, riot squads, and paramilitary forces across the capital to prevent unrest.