Bangladesh Ex-PM Hasina Sentenced to Death Over Death of 1400 Protesters

A Bangladesh court on Monday handed a death sentence to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity, sparking loud celebrations inside the crowded courtroom.

Hasina, 78, was tried in absentia after ignoring repeated court directives to return from India to face proceedings over allegations that she ordered a lethal crackdown on a student-led uprising that forced her from power.

The landmark judgment — broadcast live nationwide — comes months ahead of the country’s first general elections since her removal in August 2024.

Reading the verdict, judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder declared that “all the… elements constituting crimes against humanity have been fulfilled,” noting that Hasina was “found guilty on three counts”, including incitement, order to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities.

“We have decided to inflict her with only one sentence — that is, a sentence of death,” Mozumder announced.

Two other senior officials in her former administration were also convicted. Former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, currently on the run, received a death sentence after being found guilty on four counts of crimes against humanity. Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who appeared in court and pleaded guilty, was handed a five-year prison term.

Bangladesh has faced prolonged unrest since the collapse of Hasina’s government, with political violence intensifying as the country moves toward elections expected in February 2026. The United Nations has estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed during the crackdowns referenced in the case.

Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam, speaking before the ruling, expressed hope that the people’s “thirst for justice will be fulfilled, and that this verdict will mark an end to crimes against humanity.”

Prosecutors had brought five charges against Hasina, including failure to prevent murder — offences classified as crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.

The court heard months of testimony detailing accusations that Hasina ordered mass killings. She has dismissed the proceedings as a “jurisprudential joke.” Although assigned a state-appointed lawyer, she refused to acknowledge the court’s legitimacy and rejected all charges.