In a case involving suspected crimes against humanity, Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, was given a death sentence by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal. After a months-long trial, the court convicted Hasina guilty on three counts of directing a violent crackdown on a student-led rebellion that resulted in the overthrow of her Awami League administration last year.
The two aides to Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, were also found guilty on the same allegations by the three-member tribunal, which was presided over by Justice Mohd Golam Mortuza Majumder.
The court said the three accused acted in connivance with each other to commit atrocities in order to kill protesters throughout the country. However, it pardoned the former police chief, who “sought an apology from the tribunal and the people of the country”.
Hasina and Kamal have been declared fugitives and tried in absentia, while Mamun initially faced trial in person before turning approver.
The court observed that the Hasina government ignored the requests of the students and that the prime minister at the time weakened the movement by calling the students “Razakars,” a derogatory name prevalent in Bangladesh, and making disparaging statements about them.
The court stated that Sheikh Hasina ordered the “elimination of protesting students” when students, including female pupils, became enraged over the disparaging remarks.
“Sheikh Hasina ordered law enforcement agencies to use drones to locate congregating protesters and helicopters and lethal weapons to kill them,” the court said. It further stated that former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police head Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are accountable for crimes against humanity due to their refusal to stop atrocities and their assistance in the use of drones, lethal weaponry, and helicopters.
Five charges, including murder, attempted murder, torture, and other cruel actions, were brought against Hasina, Kamal, and Mamun. Hasina was charged with ordering the “extermination” of demonstrators. She was also charged with inciting a huge revolt that resulted in her removal from office in August 2024 by making provocative statements and ordering the deployment of lethal weapons against students. Up to 1,400 people are thought to have died during the “July Uprising” between July 15 and August 15 as her government imposed a broad security response, according to a UN rights office assessment. After disobeying the tribunal’s instructions to stand trial for orchestrating a lethal crackdown on a student-led rebellion on August 5, 2024, Hasina, 78, is currently living in exile in India.
Amid growing agitation, Hasina left Bangladesh on August 4, 2024, and has been living in India ever then. It is also thought that Kamal sought safety in India. Hasina’s extradition has been requested by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration, but India has not yet replied. Prior to the verdict, the now-defunct Awami League had announced a two-day shutdown. The ICT-BD facility is surrounded by army forces, Border Guard Bangladesh officers, and riot police, and the capital’s streets are mostly empty due to fears of unrest.
