Dhaka, Bangladesh: A special tribunal in Dhaka on Monday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death over crimes against humanity related to last year’s mass uprising, which left hundreds dead and ended her 15-year rule.
Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan was also handed a death sentence, while a former police chief received five years in prison after cooperating as a state witness and pleading guilty. The tribunal’s verdict was broadcast live.
Ahead of the ruling, the interim government tightened security across the country, deploying police and paramilitary forces in Dhaka and other major cities. Hasina’s Awami League party called for a nationwide shutdown to protest the decision. Both Hasina and Khan, who remain in exile in India, were tried in absentia, and their party denounced the tribunal as a “kangaroo court,” criticizing the state-appointed lawyer representing Hasina.
The charges stem from the July-August 2024 student-led uprising, which the United Nations reported may have killed up to 1,400 people, while interim government officials put the death toll at over 800, with around 14,000 injured.
The tribunal had scheduled Monday for the verdict amid a tense security situation, with prior incidents of crude bomb explosions and arson disrupting classes and public transport across the country.
In the days leading up to the ruling, Hasina urged supporters not to panic, while local authorities reported further explosions and arson attacks, including one outside the home of a government adviser. Dhaka’s police chief issued a “shoot-on-sight” order for anyone attempting to torch vehicles or throw crude bombs. Over the past week, nearly 50 vehicles were torched nationwide, and dozens of explosions were reported, resulting in two deaths.
The Supreme Court requested military deployment around the tribunal ahead of Monday’s verdict. Hasina was ousted on August 5 last year and fled to India. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as interim head of government three days later, vowing to hold Hasina accountable and banning Awami League activities. Yunus announced new elections for February, in which Hasina’s party will not be allowed to participate.
Bangladesh remains politically tense under the interim government, with limited signs of stability as the country prepares for its next election.
