Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity, finding her guilty of ordering the violent crackdown on student protests during the July-August 2024 movement. The tribunal, established by Hasina’s own Awami League government to prosecute war criminals from the 1971 Liberation War, convicted both Hasina and her interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, to death. Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who cooperated with the state, was sentenced to five years in prison.
The courtroom erupted in applause when Hasina’s death sentence was read aloud by the head of the three-member tribunal, Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder. Hasina and Kamal, who fled Bangladesh after the 2024 uprising, were tried in absentia. While Hasina is currently in exile in India, Kamal’s whereabouts remain unknown. Al-Mamun, present in court, played a crucial role as an approver, providing vital evidence that helped secure the conviction.
The trial, which concluded on October 23, included nearly 10,000 pages of evidence, including local and international reports, medical and post-mortem findings, and media footage. The court also examined bullet casings, blood-stained clothes, and transcripts of phone conversations between Hasina and other officials. Fifty-four witnesses, including doctors and protesters, testified before the tribunal.
The trial’s outcome has sparked protests across Bangladesh, with the Awami League calling for a nationwide strike in opposition to the verdict. The banned political party has condemned Hasina’s actions, describing her as a “venomous snake” betraying the nation. Violent clashes have broken out, with vehicles set on fire and attempts to demolish the remains of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house, the site where Hasina’s family was murdered in 1975.
The political and social unrest surrounding the verdict highlights deep divisions within Bangladesh. The violence and protests, including bombings and strikes, show how deeply the nation is affected by this controversial decision.
