Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Monday delivered a dramatic verdict, sentencing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity linked to the July 2024 demonstrations.
The ruling marks one of the most consequential legal decisions in the nation’s recent political history.
The tribunal also convicted two of her closest former aides—ex-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun—bringing the high-profile trial to a decisive close.
While Hasina and Asaduzzaman remain fugitives, Mamun is currently in custody and admitted guilt during proceedings.
In a significant development, the tribunal granted Mamun a pardon but said he will still face a ‘lenient sentence’ given the gravity of the offences.
His decision to become a state witness makes him the first accused to do so since the tribunal’s establishment in 2010.
The verdict, spanning 453 pages, is still being read out.
The formal case files include an extensive 8,747 pages of references, seized evidence, and an exhaustive list of victims, according to The Dhaka Tribune.
Prosecutors charged the three with five counts, including failure to prevent murder—an offence categorised under crimes against humanity in Bangladeshi law.
They sought the death penalty for all three, along with the confiscation of their assets for distribution to victims’ families.
Hasina has repeatedly denied all charges and refused to return to Bangladesh to face the tribunal.
Bangladesh Television (BTV) is broadcasting the judgment live from the ICT courtroom, where Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, is delivering the ruling.
The high-profile nature of the case has drawn intense national and international attention.
Authorities imposed an unprecedented security clampdown on Dhaka ahead of the verdict.
On Sunday evening, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali issued a ‘shoot-at-sight’ order targeting individuals involved in arson, explosive use, or attacks on civilians and police.
The decision follows a surge in violence coinciding with the Awami League’s two-day strike on 16–17 November.
The capital witnessed a series of cocktail explosions and arson attacks, raising concerns about escalating unrest.
Special police operations across Narayanganj resulted in the arrest of at least 21 Awami League leaders and workers, according to The Daily Star.
Many of them, though barred from political activity, allegedly organised disruptive actions ahead of the tribunal ruling.
Authorities have placed Bangladesh on high alert as the verdict continues to be read and political tensions peak.
The sentencing of Hasina—who led the country for more than a decade—signals a momentous shift in Bangladesh’s political landscape, with further developments expected as authorities implement the tribunal’s orders.
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