A special tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for her role in a deadly crackdown on protestors last year, which resulted in over 1,000 deaths, according to authorities and international organizations. The verdict, delivered on November 17, comes at the end of a months-long trial held in Hasina’s absence, as she has been living in exile in India since being ousted from power in 2024.
The court found Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering security forces to use lethal force against protestors, including student-led groups, in Dhaka and other cities.
The judge cited Hasina’s failure to protect protestors, inciting violence through public speeches, and approving the deadly suppression that led to hundreds, possibly over 1,400, deaths most of them by gunfire. The tribunal also sentenced her former interior minister to death; both were tried in absentia since they remain outside Bangladesh.
As the ruling was handed down, security was heightened in Dhaka, with concerns of renewed unrest following what Hasina described as a politically motivated “kangaroo court” verdict. Bangladesh has formally requested India to extradite Hasina, but India has so far declined, citing the need for further judicial and legal review. Hasina continues to deny the charges and insists she was targeted for political reasons after losing power.
