Dhaka, Bangladesh – Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, has been sentenced to death by a domestic war crimes court for crimes against humanity linked to the violent suppression of student protests last year that led to her government’s downfall.
A three-judge panel of the International Crimes Tribunal handed down the verdict on Monday, holding Hasina responsible for inciting hundreds of extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by security forces. Family members of victims were present in court and applauded the ruling.
“Sheikh Hasina committed crimes against humanity by her incitement, order, and failure to take punitive measures,” a judge stated while delivering the verdict. The judges added that she explicitly encouraged the targeting of protesting students.
The protests, which began over civil service job quotas, escalated into a nationwide movement demanding her resignation. The court heard that government forces may have killed up to 1,400 people and injured as many as 25,000, according to UN human rights figures.
Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh from 2009 until her ouster in 2024, has been living in self-imposed exile in New Delhi since August last year. She denies all allegations. Her lawyers have criticized the proceedings and have appealed to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, citing concerns about due process and fair trial rights.
The interim Bangladeshi government has formally requested her extradition from India, but New Delhi has yet to comment. Monday’s verdict has raised fears of political instability ahead of national elections expected in February.
