Report by Akshara Dinkar/Sakshi Sinha/Dr Saket Dinkar
London/Delhi/Dhaka Dhaka — In a landmark decision, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death, finding her guilty of crimes against humanity. The verdict was delivered on Monday in a live-broadcast court session under the chair of Justice Mohammad Golam Mortuza Mozumdar.
The tribunal held Hasina chiefly responsible for violence and killings during the student-led protests of July–August 2024. According to the verdict — detailed in a 453-page judgment — she incited attacks on protesters and authorized lethal crackdowns.
Sheikh Hasina was convicted on multiple counts and found to be a “mastermind” behind what prosecutors claim resulted in up to 1,400 deaths during the movement. Along with Hasina, former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were also on trial for their roles in the unrest.
However, the tribunal spared Al-Mamun from the death sentence, since he reportedly turned state witness. He has instead been handed a prison term of five years.
The court held that there was “sufficient basis” for the charges, and made its judgment in six parts, reading out passages that detail how Hasina allegedly orchestrated the suppression.
The trial and verdict come amid high political tension in the country. Ahead of the ruling, security was significantly tightened across Dhaka.
Hasina has denied all wrongdoing. Earlier, she criticized the tribunal as politically motivated and compared it to a “kangaroo court.”
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