Sheikh Hasina, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was sentenced to death by a special tribunal in Dhaka. The sentence, announced in November 2025, stems from her involvement within the brutal suppression of the student-led rebellion in 2024.
The event shocked the nation and added one other chapter to Bangladesh’s volatile political landscape.
Rise
In July and August 2024, Bangladesh was rocked by a wave of student-led protests. The movement began over complaints in regards to the university quota system, but quickly grew into wider unrest.
Demonstrators accused the federal government of corruption, mismanagement and suppression of dissent. According to the interim government’s health adviser, greater than 800 people died within the disaster and around 14,000 were injured.
The United Nations later estimated that as many as 1,400 people in the group could have lost their lives. Hasina’s government responded with overwhelming force, using helicopters, drones and lethal weapons.
Fees and probation
Sheikh Hasina was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka. The tribunal, chaired by Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder, convicted her on five counts of crimes against humanity.
These included inciting violence, ordering assassinations and failing to forestall widespread atrocities. In its ruling, the court noted that she authorized and supervised the usage of military force against peaceful protesters.
In three cases the court issued a death sentence and in one other case life imprisonment.
In addition to Hasina, former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan was also sentenced to death, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun received five years in prison.
Verdict and response
While reading the decision, Judge Mozumder stated: “we decided to impose just one sentence on her – that’s, the death sentence.”
The decision sparked a powerful emotional response: in court, families of protest victims cheered, while outside some people knelt in relief or prayed.
Hasina strongly rejected this decision. Speaking from exile in India, she called the tribunal “biased and politically motivated,” saying she and her government had worked to revive order and minimize the death toll.
She insisted she would bring charges before a good and legit court, rejecting what she described as a “rigged tribunal”.
Legal and political implications
From a legal viewpoint, the judgment raises serious challenges. Because Hasina was tried in absentia, under the tribunal’s rules, if she desires to appeal, she must give up inside 30 days.
However, as she stays in India, it seems unlikely that she is going to return or be extradited. India has up to now refused to extradite her, complicating enforcement of the decision.
The death sentence shouldn’t be only a legal sentence but additionally a deeply symbolic one in Bangladesh’s tense political context.
The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, hailed the event as a historic moment and a warning that no leader is above the law.
However, critics, including international human rights groups, have questioned the fairness of the trial and have expressed concern in regards to the use of the death penalty.
Public influence
The verdict polarized public opinion. The families of the protest victims imagine that this brings long-awaited recognition and justice. According to Al Jazeera, some have called for Hasina’s extradition in order that the sentence may be carried out.
Meanwhile, the ruling has heightened political tensions months before national elections scheduled for February 2026. Security measures have been tightened and protests have already broken out in some parts of Dhaka, The Guardian reported.
The death sentence could mark a turning point for Bangladesh. If carried out, it will permanently remove one of the vital powerful politicians.
But whether the decision will result in Hasina’s return and full enforcement stays deeply uncertain, given diplomatic and legal obstacles.
