Liputan6.com, Jakarta Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by the International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka on November 17, 2025.
The sentence relates to her role in the deadly suppression of a student uprising that occurred in July-August 2024.
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The court's decision shook Bangladesh's political landscape, sparking heated debate within the country and international backlash.
Sheikh Hasina, currently in exile in India, rejected the charges and called the trial politically motivated.
Bangladesh's interim government has requested India's extradition of Sheikh Hasina, but India has not yet made a firm commitment.
Charges and Sentence Against Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina was found guilty of multiple crimes against humanity, including incitement, ordering murder, and negligent culpability in preventing atrocities.
These charges centered on the use of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians during last year's anti-government protests.
A three-judge court sentenced her to death on four of the five charges, and life imprisonment on one other.
Hasina was called the "mastermind and chief architect" of the violent repression that killed hundreds of protesters.
In addition to Sheikh Hasina, former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death on similar charges.
Meanwhile, former Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who turned state witness and pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Student Uprising in 2024
The student-led rebellion in July and August 2024 was the main trigger for this case.
The incident killed hundreds of people and led to Sheikh Hasina's ouster from power after 15 years in office.
According to a health advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, more than 800 people were killed and approximately 14,000 injured during the uprising.
A February 2025 UN report estimated the death toll could reach 1,400, including many children.
A UN-led investigation found that 1,400 people may have been killed and thousands more injured.
This violence formed the basis for charges of crimes against humanity now facing Sheikh Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina's Reaction and Status
Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 and has since lived in exile in India.
She is being tried in absentia for defying a court order to return and face trial.
Responding to the verdict on Monday in a five-page statement, Hasina said the death penalty was the caretaker government's way of "eliminating [her party] Awami League as a political force" and that she was proud of her government's record on human rights.
"I am not afraid to face my accusers in a proper tribunal where the evidence can be weighed and tested fairly."
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) welcomed the verdict as a "significant moment for the victims" but expressed regret over the use of the death penalty, which it opposes in all circumstances.
The UN called for perpetrators, including individuals in command positions, to be held accountable in accordance with international standards.
Political Implications and Legal Process
Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder said Hasina was found guilty on three counts including incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities during the uprising.
"We have decided to inflict her with only one sentence - that is, sentence of death," he said.
The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, appointed by protest leaders last year, has vowed to punish Hasina.
Yunus praised the verdict, asserting that no one is above the law.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Hasina's rival, Khaleda Zia, welcomed the verdict.
However, Hasina's Awami League party has called for a nationwide shutdown to protest the verdict.
Sheikh Hasina's trial officially began on June 1, 2025, making her the first former Bangladeshi prime minister to be tried for crimes against humanity.