A tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity during a 2024 crackdown on protesters.
A special tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity. The sentencing relates to the brutal crackdown on student-led protests in July and August 2024, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 people, according to United Nations estimates.
The tribunal verdict stated that Sheikh Hasina was the “mastermind, planner, order-giver, and superior commander” responsible for orchestrating the deadly response to the protests. The violent crackdown followed the government’s reinstatement of a controversial policy reserving 30% of government jobs for relatives of independence war veterans, which sparked widespread unrest.
Sheikh Hasina fled to India after losing power in August 2024, and the trial proceeded without her presence or legal representation. The tribunal also sentenced her former Home Minister and other officials for their roles in the crackdown.
The trial has raised significant concerns regarding fairness and due process, with critics including Amnesty International condemning the speed of the trial, its in absentia nature, refusal to appoint legal counsel for Hasina, and potential political motivations behind the proceedings. The imposition of the death penalty marks a historic and polarizing development in Bangladesh’s fraught political landscape. Meanwhile, Hasina continues to command loyalty from her party, the Awami League, and political tensions remain high.
