A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of orchestrating a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising in 2024. The ruling comes just months ahead of parliamentary elections expected in early February.
Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024, was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka. She was sentenced to death for ordering the use of lethal weapons against protesters, while receiving life imprisonment on three other charges. Former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman was also sentenced to death, whereas former police chief Chaudhry Abdullah Mamoon had his sentence commuted to five years for cooperating with the state.
The trial centred on allegations that Hasina gave direct orders to suppress protests sparked by a controversial government jobs quota system. Prosecutors claimed she authorised the use of drones, helicopters, and firearms, leading to the deaths of up to 1,400 people and injuring thousands more between 15 July and 5 August 2024 — marking the worst violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 war of independence. Specific incidents cited included the deliberate killing of a university student, six protesters shot dead in Dhaka, and six people burned alive in Ashulia.
Ahead of the verdict, Hasina dismissed the charges, calling the proceedings unfair and asserting a guilty verdict was “a foregone conclusion.” Her son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, stated they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government took office with the Awami League’s participation.
Tensions in Dhaka have escalated in recent days, with at least 40 arson attacks and dozens of crude bomb explosions reported nationwide, resulting in two deaths. Security forces, including soldiers and police, have been deployed across the capital, with authorities warning they would use firearms against any attacks on police or public property.
The Awami League has been barred from contesting the upcoming elections, raising fears that Monday’s verdict could trigger renewed unrest. Rights groups have criticised the security forces for excessive violence during last year’s protests, and the ruling has intensified political polarisation in the country.
The death sentence can be appealed in the Supreme Court, though no appeal has yet been filed.