Former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death

A special tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in a case related to crimes against humanity. The charges were connected to the 2024 student-led protests, during which around 1,400 people were killed in a violent government crackdown.

Sheikh Hasina is currently living in exile in India, and the trial was held in absentia. She has rejected all accusations, calling the case political and unfair. Her party, the Awami League, has also criticised the verdict, saying it is biased and unjust.

After the announcement, security was tightened across Dhaka. Streets are mostly empty due to fears of violence, as the Awami League had called for nationwide protests.

The Bangladeshi government has said it will again request extradition from India so that Hasina can be brought back to face the sentence. However, India has previously refused to hand her over.

The verdict has created tension and uncertainty in the country, and the coming days are expected to be crucial for Bangladesh’s political situation.

Earlier, a special court in Dhaka was reading its verdict against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She is accused of crimes against humanity for the violent crackdown on student protests in 2024, when about 1,400 people were killed. Hasina is 78 years old and is being tried in absentia because she has been living in exile in India since her government collapsed in August 2024 after ruling the country for 15 years.

Her banned political party, the Awami League, says the tribunal is unfair and politically motivated. They have called for a nationwide shutdown, which has caused fear of violence and kept most people off the streets of Dhaka.

The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, says the trial is fair and transparent. They say observers were allowed to monitor the process. Hasina refuses to accept the court’s authority and said earlier that she believes the verdict was already decided. She denies all charges.

There was confusion earlier when some news agencies reported that the verdict had already been issued, but the court has not formally announced it yet. The judges are still reading the full verdict, and the final result may take hours.

The International Crimes Tribunal, which is giving this verdict, was actually created by Hasina’s own government in 2010. It was originally set up to try war crimes from Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war but became controversial because some trials were seen as politically motivated. After Hasina was removed from power, the new government restructured the tribunal to investigate the 2024 protest killings. Now the court she once controlled is being used to try her.

Security in Dhaka is extremely tight today. Police, soldiers and paramilitary forces are guarding the court area. A “shoot-at-sight” order has reportedly been issued for anyone involved in arson or bomb attacks, after several buses were set on fire last week. Many streets are empty, and public transport is running with very few passengers. People are mostly staying indoors and watching the live broadcast of the court proceedings.

Family members of protesters who were killed in 2024 are demanding the harshest punishment for Hasina. Some say she should be brought back from India so that any sentence can be carried out in Bangladesh.

Hasina issued a message to her supporters in which she said the charges against her are false. She also said she does not care about the verdict and will continue working for the people in her own way. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed, told reporters that he believes the court will sentence her to death but insisted that she is safe under Indian protection.

The case against Hasina is based on a very large collection of evidence, including thousands of pages of documents, medical and postmortem reports, bullet casings, clothing from victims, and video footage. More than 80 witnesses testified, including doctors, survivors, and investigators. One of the other accused, the former police chief, has confessed and is cooperating with prosecutors.

The verdict is considered historic in Bangladesh because this is the first time a former prime minister may be convicted for crimes against humanity. Still, many people wonder what the verdict will mean in practice, since India has refused to extradite Hasina.

The country is now waiting anxiously. The final verdict will be announced soon, and Bangladesh faces an uncertain future, especially as national elections approach next year with the Awami League banned from participating.