A Bangladesh war crimes court has sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity linked to last year’s violent suppression of student-led protests, in one of the most consequential verdicts in the country’s recent history.
The International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court in Dhaka, found the 78-year-old guilty of ordering the use of lethal force against demonstrators during unrest in July and August 2024, which a United Nations investigation said left up to 1,400 people dead and thousands more wounded or detained. A three-judge panel imposed the death penalty for killings during the uprising, together with a separate life sentence on wider charges of crimes against humanity.
Hasina, who has lived in India since fleeing Bangladesh as protests toppled her government in August 2024, was represented by a state-appointed lawyer after declining to recognise the proceedings. The tribunal announced its decision amid heavy security in the capital, with paramilitary forces deployed around key government buildings and the court complex. Reporters in the courtroom said the pronouncement of the death sentence prompted cheering and applause from spectators.
Prosecutors told the court they had presented evidence that Hasina personally ordered security forces to use live fire, drones, helicopters and other “lethal weapons” to regain control of streets filled with protesting students and their supporters. The tribunal found her responsible both for specific killings and for failing to prevent systematic abuses during what it characterised as an officially directed campaign of repression.
The verdict draws on findings of a UN fact-finding mission, which in February reported “widespread and systematic” violations, including the shooting of unarmed demonstrators, mass arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and torture, and said there were reasonable grounds to conclude that crimes against humanity may have been committed. The UN rights office estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed in a three-week period, with a significant share of deaths caused by gunfire from security forces.
Hasina has rejected all accusations. In an email interview with Reuters ahead of the ruling, she described the case as “a politically motivated charade” and labelled the tribunal “a kangaroo court”, insisting that a guilty verdict was “a foregone conclusion”. She said she had not been given adequate notice of hearings or a realistic chance to mount a defence, and denied any personal role in ordering lethal force. Her court-appointed counsel argued that the charges were baseless and urged her acquittal.
Her son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, told Reuters they would not file an appeal unless a government formed through elections in which the Awami League participated was in office. The party, which dominated politics under Hasina for more than a decade, has been barred from contesting the parliamentary elections expected in early February under decisions taken by the interim administration. Wazed has warned of growing anger among Awami League supporters and has suggested that many would boycott the vote.
Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of around 170 million people, has been governed since August 2024 by an interim authority headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. The caretaker government invited the UN investigation, has pledged accountability for abuses during the protests and has overseen a series of cases against senior figures in the former administration, including former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. The International Crimes Tribunal itself was originally set up under Hasina’s own premiership to try suspects from the 1971 independence war.
Security across Dhaka and other major cities was tightened in the days before the verdict, with authorities reporting crude bomb attacks and vehicles set on fire but no deaths. Officials said they were prepared for further unrest following the ruling. Political tensions remain high: supporters of the interim government and of opposition parties have framed the trial as a long-delayed reckoning for atrocities, while Hasina and her allies maintain that the process amounts to victor’s justice aimed at eliminating the Awami League from politics.
The judgment is subject to appeal in Bangladesh’s Supreme Court, although it is unclear how that process would proceed while the principal defendant remains outside the country. Dhaka has previously cited an extradition treaty with India and has asked New Delhi to return Hasina, but the treaty allows refusals in cases deemed political in nature or where extradition is considered unjust or oppressive. Indian officials have indicated that decisions on her status in India will take account of both legal obligations and broader bilateral relations.
With elections approaching and the main party of government for the past decade excluded from the ballot, the case leaves Bangladesh at a sensitive juncture. Supporters of the tribunal say the outcome delivers a measure of accountability for the bloodshed of 2024. Critics question the fairness of a capital trial conducted in absentia and warn that the verdict could entrench political polarisation. How the interim authorities manage the security and political fallout in the coming weeks is likely to shape both the legitimacy of the February poll and the country’s longer-term stability.
