Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, received a death sentence in absentia on Monday from the International Crimes Tribunal. This ruling followed a lengthy trial that determined she had ordered a violent response to student-led protests in 2024. According to a United Nations human rights inquiry, the crackdown resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 individuals and left thousands injured during the political turmoil in July and August 2024, marking the worst violence since the country’s war of independence in 1971.
The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, urged the public to remain calm and announced a strict approach in handling any ensuing unrest. Dhaka has also called on India to extradite Hasina, who fled there in August 2024. Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder stated during the proceedings, “We have decided to inflict her with only one sentence, that is sentence of death.” The courtroom erupted in applause from the families of victims as the judgment was delivered.
Prosecutors presented evidence in court, claiming that Hasina directly ordered the use of live ammunition against demonstrators. Following the verdict, India remarked that it had taken note of the ruling and expressed a willingness to engage constructively, but did not commit to extraditing Hasina.
In a statement issued after the ruling, Hasina, aged 78, described the tribunal as “biased and politically motivated,” referring to it as a “rigged tribunal.” Her political party, the Awami League, has been barred from participating in the upcoming elections anticipated in February.
Security measures intensified around government buildings and the tribunal complex as tensions increased in the lead-up to the verdict. Reports indicated that at least 30 crude bombs had been detonated and vehicles set ablaze in recent days. Yunus emphasized that rebuilding trust between citizens and state institutions is crucial moving forward. The interim government reiterated its stance that any attempts to disrupt public order would be met with strict consequences.
The United Nations report, released in February, detailed widespread violence against unarmed protesters and called for prosecutions to adhere to international legal standards. The ongoing situation in Bangladesh remains tense as the ramifications of this verdict unfold.
