Bangladesh court sentences ousted PM Sheikh Hasina to death over student crackdown

A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. The verdict concluded a months-long trial held in her absence, as Hasina fled to India in August 2024 following mass protests.

The ruling by the International Crimes Tribunal — Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court — comes just weeks ahead of parliamentary elections expected in early February. The court announced its decision under tight security across Dhaka.

The verdict is open to appeal in the Supreme Court. However, Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, told Reuters before the ruling that the family would not pursue an appeal unless a democratically elected government takes office with the Awami League’s participation.

Prosecutors argued that evidence showed Hasina had directly ordered the use of lethal force against demonstrators during the July–August 2024 uprising. According to a United Nations report, up to 1,400 people may have been killed and thousands more injured during the protests, most of them by gunfire from security forces.

Read More: Parliament Holds Sole Right Over Constitutional Changes: Talal Ch

Sheikh Hasina, represented in court by a state-appointed defence lawyer, denied all allegations and had earlier accused the Tribunal of conducting a politically motivated trial with a “foregone conclusion.”

Tensions have escalated across Bangladesh in the days leading up to the ruling. At least 30 crude bomb blasts and 26 vehicle burnings have been reported nationwide, though no casualties have been recorded so far.