In a landmark and deeply controversial verdict, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity.
The 78-year-old Hasina, who has been living in exile in India, was tried in absentia for her alleged role as the mastermind behind the brutal government crackdown on student-led protests in 2024 that resulted in the deaths of up to 1,400 people.
Hasina, who led Bangladesh for 15 years until August 2024, faces charges including ordering the violent suppression that ended her rule.
Alongside her, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death for similar crimes. A former police chief implicated in the case received leniency for cooperating with the tribunal.
The trial, which has been politically charged and contentious, saw Hasina dismiss the charges and called the proceedings a “jurisprudential joke.”
She declined to return from India despite court orders to attend. Leading up to the verdict, Bangladesh experienced heightened security and tension, with incidents of arson and bomb attacks reported, reflecting the country’s fragile political environment as it approaches February 2026 elections.
This historic ruling marks a dramatic chapter in Bangladesh’s political crisis and continues to provoke strong reactions both domestically and internationally, with some viewing it as justice served for the victims, while others see it as deeply divisive and politically motivated.
