Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina receives the death sentence from the International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity during the 2024 student uprising. Hasina, speaking from exile in India, calls the verdict “rigged and politically motivated.”
Bangladesh Crimes Against Humanity Verdict Sheikh Hasina
The political landscape of South Asia was irrevocably altered on Monday as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka handed down a death sentence to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed. The historic judgment, which was broadcast live, found the 78-year-old leader guilty of multiple counts of crimes against humanity related to the brutal crackdown on student-led protests—often termed the “July Revolution”—that ultimately brought down her fifteen-year rule in 2024.
The Tribunal, in its pronouncement, held Hasina directly accountable for incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent widespread atrocities against unarmed protesters. The charges stemmed from the use of lethal force, including the deployment of security forces, helicopters, and drones against civilians during the intense period of unrest. Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, delivering the highly anticipated ruling, stated that all elements constituting “crimes against humanity” had been fulfilled and that the court had decided to inflict “only one sentence—that is, sentence of death.” Alongside Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received a five-year prison term for cooperating as a state witness.
