Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for her role in ordering the deadly crackdown on student protests in 2024. The ruling, delivered in her absence after she fled to India, also includes a life sentence for other crimes against humanity. Authorities reported cheering inside the court following the verdict, which can still be appealed in the Supreme Court.
The tribunal found evidence that Hasina directly commanded security forces to use lethal force during protests from July 15 to August 5, 2024, in which a UN report estimates up to 1,400 people were killed. Thousands more were injured, marking the bloodiest unrest in Bangladesh since its 1971 independence war.
Hasina's party, the Awami League, has been barred from contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections, raising fears of further unrest. Security forces remained on high alert across Dhaka and other cities, with paramilitary deployments around key government sites. In the days leading up to the verdict, several crude bombings and vehicle fires were reported, though no casualties occurred.
Hasina, 78, has rejected the tribunal's legitimacy, calling it a politically motivated kangaroo court. She has claimed she was denied proper notice of hearings and a meaningful defense, warning that millions of her supporters may boycott the elections in protest. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has pledged to maintain stability despite growing political tensions.