A special tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia, finding her guilty of crimes against humanity.
The International Crimes Tribunal ruled that Hasina was directly involved in a brutal crackdown on a student-led uprising in July–August 2024, which reportedly left between 800 and 1,400 people dead, according to various estimates.
In its verdict, the court said Hasina incited violence and “expressed that she ordered to eliminate the student protesters.” Alongside her, her former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan also received a death sentence.
Hasina, 78, has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh after her government was toppled in 2024. She rejected the verdict, calling it “biased” and politically motivated.
The case has deepened political tensions in Bangladesh. Critics say the trial is part of a wider crackdown by the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus against Hasina’s Awami League. Meanwhile, international human rights groups are calling for due process and urging against the use of the death penalty.
