Bangladesh Court Sentences Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina to Death Over 2024 Crackdown

Bangladesh’s war crimes court on Monday sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death after finding her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on student-led protests in 2024 — a ruling that could inflame political tensions ahead of elections expected early next year.

The International Crimes Tribunal delivered the verdict in Hasina’s absence, as the 78-year-old former leader has lived in India since being overthrown in August 2024. Prosecutors said she directly authorised the use of lethal force during the unrest, which a UN report estimates left up to 1,400 people dead and thousands injured between July 15 and August 5, 2024 — the worst violence since Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war.

Hasina also received a life sentence for crimes against humanity. Her state-appointed defence lawyer called the charges baseless, while the Awami League leader herself has dismissed the proceedings as politically motivated, saying a guilty verdict was «a foregone conclusion.»

The decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court, but Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, told Reuters the family would not seek an appeal unless the Awami League is allowed to participate in the upcoming elections, from which it is currently barred.

Security has been tightened across Dhaka following days of crude bomb attacks and arson, though no casualties have been reported. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has urged calm as fears grow of renewed unrest among Hasina’s supporters.

Authorities said they were prepared for any trouble following the verdict.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Tokyo seeks to calm tensions with Beijing after prime minister’s Taiwan comments spark diplomatic backlash.