Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) after being found guilty of crimes against humanity linked to the violent crackdown on student-led protests that toppled her government in August 2024.
ICT Verdict and Key Findings
In a detailed 40-minute ruling, the three-judge bench held that Hasina, during her tenure as Prime Minister, ordered or failed to prevent atrocities committed against protesters. The tribunal convicted her on charges of incitement, issuing lethal orders, and failing to halt systematic violence.
The court ruled that she ordered the use of drones, helicopters, and live ammunition to disperse unarmed student demonstrators.
Hasina rejected the verdict, calling it the result of a “rigged tribunal” run by an “unelected, illegitimate government.”
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Co-Accused in the Case
The court also convicted:
- Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Home Minister (tried in absentia, sentenced to death)
- Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former Inspector General of Police (in custody, pleaded guilty)
Mamun turned state witness, receiving a reduced sentence of five years in prison.
Charges and Allegations
Prosecutors alleged that Hasina and her co-accused orchestrated a “coordinated, widespread and systematic attack” on student protesters during the 2024 uprising. The charges include:
- Incitement to violence
- Issuing orders to kill protesters
- Failure to prevent atrocities
- Use of lethal weapons, drones, and helicopters
- Extermination of demonstrators in multiple locations
Hasina received the death penalty on two specific counts—related to killings in Dhaka’s Chankharpul and Ashulia on August 5, 2024. She was also sentenced to life imprisonment for inflammatory remarks and issuing orders to use deadly force.
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Casualties and Additional Orders
Authorities estimate that up to 1,400 people died during the crackdown.
The ICT also ordered the confiscation of all properties belonging to Hasina and Asaduzzaman Kamal.
