Bangladesh Court Orders Death Penalty for Ex-PM Hasina Over Deadly 2024 Uprising

A special tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death, finding her guilty of crimes against humanity for her government’s brutal response to a massive student-led uprising in 2024. The verdict, handed down in absentia, raises the stakes in a deeply divided and volatile Bangladesh.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1, which was originally created by Hasina’s own government, delivered the ruling after months of testimony, including from survivors, medical experts, and investigators. The court concluded she had ordered the use of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against protesting students, and failed to prevent or punish the violence.

According to the tribunal, 12 protesters were specifically killed in two hot spots: Chankarpul in Dhaka and Ashulia in Savar. Hasina was convicted on multiple counts: not just for issuing orders to kill but also for “incitement” and a failure to take proper, preventive action. On 3 of those counts, she received the death sentence; on 3 others, she was given imprisonment until death.

Her co-defendants include Asaduzzaman Khan, the former home minister, who was also sentenced to death, and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, the ex-police chief, who received a prison term after cooperating with prosecutors. The tribunal also ordered compensation for the families of the victims and those injured, though it did not clearly say which government body will pay.

The uprising began on July 1, 2024, when students protested against a High Court ruling that reinstated a policy granting one-third of civil service jobs to descendants of 1971 war veterans. By mid-July, protests had spiraled, a telecom blackout was imposed, and the army was deployed. According to UN estimates, up to 1,400 people may have died during the crackdown.

Al Jazeera reports it obtained secret phone call recordings in which Hasina allegedly told aides to “use lethal weapons” on protesters and to “shoot wherever they find them.” The prosecution said these recordings were a smoking gun, showing she gave explicit orders for violence.

Hasina, now 78, remains in exile in India and strongly rejects the verdict. She called the tribunal “politically motivated” and “biased,” saying it was a “rigged” court led by an “unelected government.” She argued that while her government “lost control of the situation,” it was wrong to portray the turmoil as a planned “assault on civilians.”

The tribunal is chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, supported by two other judges. Human rights advocates, including Human Rights Watch, have raised serious concerns about the trial’s fairness, citing previous procedural problems with the tribunal.

Security in Dhaka was already tight in the days leading up to the verdict. Reports say the interim government deployed 400 border guards, beefed up checkpoints, and restricted public gatherings. At one point, there were even “shoot-at-sight” warnings for violence around the court, according to Al Jazeera.

The political fallout could be severe. The verdict gives momentum to the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has made Hasina’s prosecution a signature promise. But it also risks inflaming unrest: Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has already called the tribunal a “kangaroo court.”

Critics warn that this could reshape the upcoming election in February 2026. Hasina’s exile and her party’s barred participation may drive tensions into open conflict, particularly if her supporters mobilize abroad. Some analysts say the verdict is a test not just of accountability, but of whether Bangladesh can move beyond political vengeance and build lasting trust.

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