Bangladesh’s special tribunal, International Crimes Tribunal-1, has declared former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed guilty in a crimes-against-humanity case and handed down multiple sentences. The three-member tribunal, established in 2010, sentenced her to death on two charges and to life imprisonment on three other charges.
The verdict states that Sheikh Hasina Wajed authorized the use of lethal weapons against protesters, including drones and helicopters, resulting in the direct shooting and killing of six demonstrators. The court noted that students protesting were met with force instead of dialogue.
The 400-page verdict included testimonies from around 80 eyewitnesses. Former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun were also found complicit alongside Hasina Wajed.
The 78-year-old former prime minister is accused of masterminding and orchestrating the suppression of public protests against the controversial government quota system, which resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths. The 2024 uprising ended her 15-year rule, and she has been living in exile in India since then.
Sheikh Hasina Audio Message Claims Election Restrictions
Before the verdict was announced, Sheikh Hasina released an audio message claiming that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus was preventing the Awami League from participating in elections. Her son and advisor, Sajeeb Wajed, warned that if restrictions on the party were not lifted, supporters could disrupt the February 2026 national elections.
According to a United Nations report, approximately 1,400 people were killed and thousands were injured during the protests from July 15 to August 5, 2024, mostly due to security forces’ gunfire. This incident marked the worst political violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 war.
The case included five charges, including failure to prevent killings and violations of human rights, with Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun identified as co-conspirators.
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