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A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity linked to a deadly crackdown during last year’s mass student-led uprising that toppled her government.
Hasina, 78, did not attend the proceedings and defied court orders demanding her return from India, where she has been in hiding since Aug. 5, 2024. The verdict was read before a packed courtroom in Dhaka and broadcast live on national television.
Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder said all elements of crimes against humanity had been met, declaring Hasina guilty on three counts, including incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities. “We have decided to inflict her with only one sentence; that is, sentence of death,” he said.
Former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, also a fugitive, received the death penalty after being convicted on four counts.
Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah al-Mamun, who was present in court and pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years in prison.
The International Crimes Tribunal heard months of testimony in Hasina’s absence, including accounts of mass killings during the uprising.
The United Nations has said up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 as Hasina attempted to retain power.
In a statement issued from hiding in India, Hasina condemned the ruling as “biased and politically motivated,” calling the tribunal “rigged” and “unelected.”
She said the guilty verdict was “preordained” and rejected all charges.
“I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal,” she said, urging authorities to bring the case before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry recently summoned India’s envoy, demanding that New Delhi prevent Hasina from granting interviews and “granting her a platform to spew hatred.”
Security forces surrounded the court ahead of the verdict, with nearly half of Dhaka’s 34,000 police officers deployed.
Crude bomb attacks earlier this month targeted buses, government-linked buildings and Christian sites.
The ban on Hasina’s former ruling party, the Awami League, by the interim government has deepened the political crisis ahead of elections expected in February 2026.
The International Crisis Group said the verdict carries major political implications.
Analyst Thomas Kean noted concerns about in-absentia trials, the speed of the hearings, and limited defense resources, though he cautioned these should not distract from examining Hasina’s actions.
Hasina ruled Bangladesh for more than 15 years before being ousted and accused of overseeing harsh crackdowns, jailing political rivals and enacting restrictive press laws.
The tribunal ruled that Hasina was the “superior commander of all the atrocities,” stating that the crimes occurred with her “cool knowledge.”
The 453-page judgment concluded that her actions amounted to crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.
The sentence comes ahead of Bangladesh’s first national polls since Hasina’s overthrow, in a country facing deepening political turmoil and ongoing violence.
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