Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ruled for 15 years. Image by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images
Sheikh Hasina is the longest-serving prime minister in Bangladeshi history. She was despised for leading an increasingly authoritarian government. Her government was accused of systematic violations of human rights. Nevertheless, she was praised for revolutionizing the country’s infrastructure and economy.
Hasina was found guilty of ordering a violent crackdown on a student-led rebellion last year. Following this trial, a war crimes court on Monday sentenced Hasina to death. This marks a shocking escalation of Bangladesh’s political unrest.
The decision was made by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). Hasina recognized this as a domestic court. It signifies the harshest judicial action taken against a former Bangladeshi leader in many years. August 2024 saw Hasina flee to India; she describes the decision as “biased and politically motivated.”
The Verdict and Charges
Under strict security, the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka delivered the decision in absentia. Hasina, 78, was charged with crimes against humanity during the July–August 2024 uprising and given a life sentence (imprisonment until natural death) in addition to the death penalty for killing multiple people.
- Principal Convictions: Ordering the use of lethal force, incitement to violence, and failure to prevent atrocities.
- Co-Accused: Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan was also sentenced to death. Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received a five-year prison term after turning state witness.
The verdict comes months ahead of parliamentary elections, expected in early February 2026. Hasina’s Awami League party has been prohibited from contesting, raising fears of fresh unrest.
The Deadly 2024 Uprising
The convictions are the result of the nation’s most violent political crisis since its independence struggle in 1971. An extensive movement against Hasina’s autocratic rule swiftly grew from student protests over a quota system for government jobs.
- Casualties: Up to 1,400 people may have died during the protests between July 15 and August 5, 2024, according to a United Nations investigation published in February. Thousands more people were hurt, mostly by the security forces’ shooting.
- The interim government health adviser for Bangladesh estimated that over 800 people had died and about 14,000 had been injured.
- The Crackdown: The prosecution provided proof of Hasina’s explicit order to employ deadly force, including the use of helicopters, drones, and live ammunition, to put an end to the protests.
Hasina has positively denied ordering security forces to fire on unarmed citizens, maintaining that she and Khan “acted in good faith and were trying to minimize the loss of life.”
Standoff with India
Since her removal on August 5, 2024, when Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership of an emergency government, Hasina and Khan have been living in exile in India.
- Extradition Request: Using the current 2013 extradition treaty, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs has called on India to deliver the two guilty individuals.
- India’s Position: To date, New Delhi has declined to turn them over. If the alleged offenses are considered political, as many observers believe Hasina’s case falls within, India may deny extradition under the terms of the treaty. The Foreign Ministry of India said it is still “committed to the best interests of people of Bangladesh,” although it did not confirm a transfer.
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