Verdict issued in high-profile trial of former leader
A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, 78, to death after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity linked to a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising that contributed to her removal from power in August 2024. Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder read the ruling to a packed courtroom, and the verdict was broadcast live on national television.
The court found Hasina guilty on three counts: incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities. The judge said the legal elements of crimes against humanity had been met and imposed a single punishment: the death penalty.
"All the... elements constituting crimes against humanity have been fulfilled," Judge Mozumder told the court.
Also convicted was former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who was sentenced to death in absentia after being found guilty on four counts. Ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who appeared in court and pleaded guilty, received a five-year prison term.
Hasina, who remained in India and did not return to attend the trial despite court orders, said in a statement from hiding that the verdict was "biased and politically motivated." She was represented in court by a state-appointed lawyer; her defence counsel, Md Amir Hossain, said she may appeal the sentence if she is arrested or surrenders.
Reactions and wider context
The ruling prompted jubilant scenes in parts of Dhaka, with crowds waving the national flag. Relatives of victims expressed mixed emotions: some welcomed the sentences as justice, while others criticized the relatively light term handed to the former police chief.
The United Nations estimates as many as 1,400 people were killed during the crackdowns while Hasina sought to retain power—a central element of the prosecution's case. Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman described the trial as paying "the dues to the martyrs," while interim leader Muhammad Yunus called the verdict "historic."
Security was tightened across the capital for the verdict, with armoured vehicles and thousands of police officers deployed amid a recent spate of crude bomb attacks targeting public sites and buildings linked to the interim government.
International and legal concerns
The judgement has raised diplomatic tensions with India, which had supported Hasina politically while she was in office; Bangladesh has formally requested her extradition. India said it had "noted" the verdict and reiterated its commitment to the interests of the people of Bangladesh but did not immediately comment on the extradition request.
Analysts and rights groups have raised questions about certain aspects of the trial. The International Crisis Group noted that the ruling has significant political repercussions and pointed to concerns about the use of in absentia proceedings, the speed of hearings and apparent resource constraints for the defence—factors that critics say may raise questions about fairness even as they do not negate the gravity of the allegations against Hasina.
The sentence arrives less than three months before Bangladesh's first national elections since the August 2024 change of government, underscoring the fragile political climate and the potential implications for stability ahead of polls expected in February 2026.
Reporting note: The trial included months of testimony and evidence presented by the prosecution. Hasina's legal team maintains she is the victim of politically motivated proceedings; prosecutors and many victims' families say the verdict holds accountable those responsible for mass violence.
