A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising last year. The decision marks one of the most dramatic moments in the country’s political history, coming just months before national elections expected in early February.

Hasina, who was ousted from power in 2024 and has since been in exile in India, was found guilty on three counts, including incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities. Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder said the tribunal had decided on a single punishment, the death sentence.

Heavy security and a trial in absentia

The verdict was delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka amid tight security. Hasina, 78, was tried in absentia after fleeing to India in August 2024 following her government’s collapse. The tribunal ruled that she enabled and orchestrated widespread abuses during the July–August 2024 student protests.

Bangladesh Television broadcast the live reading of the verdict by Justice Golam Murtaza, who heads the three-member tribunal.

Her Awami League party has been banned from contesting the upcoming elections, raising fears that the ruling may trigger further unrest.

What the judgment said

The tribunal found Sheikh Hasina responsible for crimes against humanity under multiple charges. According to Dhaka Tribune, the judgment concluded that Sheikh Hasina and her co-accused, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, had orchestrated violent crackdowns on protesters.

The tribunal said Hasina had issued orders to use drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians and had failed to prevent or punish the abuses committed by security forces.

Charges against Hasina

Sheikh Hasina faces five major charges connected to the 2024 protests. These include:

• Organising mass killings of protesters in Dhaka
• Ordering the use of helicopters and drones to fire on crowds
• Involvement in the murder of student activist Abu Sayed
• overseeing the incineration of bodies in Ashulia to destroy evidence
• Involvement in the coordinated killings of demonstrators in Chankharpul

The formal charge sheets span more than 8,700 pages and contain references, evidence, and detailed lists of victims.

Reaction from Sheikh Hasina’s family

Sheikh Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, told Reuters that they would not appeal the verdict unless a democratically elected government took office with the participation of the Awami League. While the verdict can be appealed before the Supreme Court, the political environment remains highly uncertain.

Political tensions and allegations of bias

Hasina has called the proceedings politically motivated. In a recent email interview with Reuters, she described the tribunal as a “kangaroo court” run by her political opponents in the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

She claimed she was denied adequate notice of hearings and an opportunity to mount a defense. She also rejected accusations that she ordered the use of lethal force.

Bangladesh under the interim government

Since Hasina’s ouster, Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. Although the country has been relatively calm, political stability has not fully returned.

Yunus has announced that national elections will be held in February and has ruled out any chance for the Awami League to contest.

Hasina warned that millions of Awami League supporters may boycott the polls, increasing political uncertainty as the country moves toward the election season.