Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh on Monday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for alleged crimes against humanity stemming from last year’s large-scale student uprising that toppled her Awami League government.
The three-member of the International Crimes Tribunal‑1 (ICT-1), headed by Justice Mohd Golam Mortuza Majumder, found 78-year-old Hasina, who is now in India, guilty on three counts — incitement, order to kill, and inaction to prevent the atrocities.
The Judge stated that Hasina “used force to cling to power” during the mass protests of July–August 2024. He further revealed that she ordered the use of helicopters, drones and lethal weapons to suppress student protesters, referencing an alleged conversation between her and then South Dhaka mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.
“…Sheikh Hasina has committed crimes against humanity. Six protesters at Chankharpul were killed using lethal weapons on August 5. By issuing orders and through the inaction of Sheikh Hasina, the then home minister, and the IG of police, the students were killed. These killings happened under the orders and full knowledge of PM Sheikh Hasina. By such acts, they committed crimes against humanity.”
She was also found guilty of making statements against the Rajakar sect of the society, portraying them as enemies of Mukti Yodhas.
The ruling marks one of the most dramatic legal actions against a former Bangladeshi leader in decades, only months ahead of the national elections scheduled for early February. With Awami League been barred from contesting the polls, analysts warn that the verdict could trigger fresh unrest.
Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, earlier told Reuters that they would not appeal against the verdict unless a democratically elected government took office with the Awami League’s participation.
Verdict Against 2 Aides
The tribunal also pronounced its judgment against Hasina’s two aides, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, over the same charges. While the former Bangladesh home minister was also sentenced to death, the former police chief, who “sought an apology from the tribunal and the people of the country”, was pardoned.
The sentence spans 453 pages in six parts, according to the judge, and while Hasina and Asaduzzaman were tried in absentia, the former IGP was present at the tribunal.
According to The Daily Star, the court has also ordered that the properties of Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman be confiscated and taken over by the state.
Outside the courtroom
Dhaka was placed on high alert with army, police and paramilitary forces deployed city-wide; major roads and transport services were also disrupted. Dhaka’s police chief, Sheikh Mohammad Sazzat Ali, had also issued a “shoot-on-sight” order against anyone attempting arson or attacks with crude bombs.
In an unusual move to manage public interest in the ruling, a live-telecast of the verdict was also shown at the student centre (TSC) of University of Dhaka, where a large crowd has gathered to follow the proceedings as they unfold.
The Unrest
Approximately 1,400 people were allegdely killed and around 24,000 injured during the unrest with the security forces under Hasina’s orders allegedly deploying firearms and helicopters in Dhaka on August 5, 2024. Medical aid was also reportedly denied to wounded protesters.
Sheikh Hasina’s First Reaction
In a statement, Hasina claimed that the ruling, which came after a months-long trial conducted in her absence, was “biased and politically motivated. “The verdicts announced against me have been made by a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate. They are biased and politically motivated. Its guilty verdict against me was a foregone conclusion,” she said.
“I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where evidence can be weighed and tested fairly,” Reuters quoted Hasina as saying.
She, however, acknowledged that the government had lost control of the situation at the time but rubbished “premeditated” assault on civilians. “We lost control of the situation but cannot characterise what happened as a premeditated assault on citizens,” the TOI report, quoting Hasina, added.