By Mahbub Hasan Tutul, Dhaka Correspondent:
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has convicted ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of three charges related to crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising. She was sentenced to life imprisonment on the first charge and death on the second.
Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also handed the death penalty in the same case.
The verdict was delivered at around 2:45 p.m. on Monday by a three-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal–1, headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mojumdar. The other members included Justice Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired District and Sessions Judge Md. Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
The tribunal read out a summarized portion of the 453-page judgment, divided into six sections. The summary reading began at 12:34 p.m. and continued until the official pronouncement of the verdict.
The court stated that Sheikh Hasina had committed crimes against humanity during the events of the July uprising. The tribunal also found Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Chowdhury Mamun guilty.
Another accused, Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, turned state witness, admitting his role and revealing key details. Although his offenses warrant the maximum penalty, the tribunal said his sentence would be reduced due to his cooperation.
This marks the first conviction in Bangladesh’s history where the country’s highest-ranking political leader has been found guilty of genocide-related crimes by the International Crimes Tribunal. The verdict was broadcast live on state-run and private television channels, with large screens showing the proceedings across major intersections in Dhaka.
Ms. Hasina and Mr. Kamal are believed to be in India, where they reportedly fled shortly after being forced from power. Mr. Mamun, the only defendant in custody, confessed and cooperated with investigators, which the tribunal said would be considered in his sentencing.
In anticipation of unrest following the verdict, security forces were placed on high alert nationwide. Additional police and intelligence personnel in plainclothes were deployed across Dhaka and other districts.
Security across the country was tightened ahead of the ruling. Elite police units, paramilitary forces, and plainclothes intelligence officers were deployed at strategic locations in Dhaka and across several districts. The army was stationed in Dhaka, Gopalganj, Madaripur, and Faridpur, while the Border Guard Bangladesh was placed on alert along key transport routes. The Supreme Court also requested military deployment around the tribunal complex.
Authorities said the measures were meant to preempt possible unrest after calls by the now-banned Awami League for “shutdowns” and “lockdowns,” which in recent months have been accompanied by arson attacks and the detonation of crude explosives. Opposition parties—including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, the NCP, and groups aligned with the July uprisingalso signaled they were bracing for potential clashes.
Prosecutors submitted 8,747 pages of evidence in the case, including documentary records, witness accounts, and lists of victims. Investigators alleged that Ms. Hasina issued direct orders to state security agencies and ruling-party affiliates most notably the student, youth, and volunteer wings to use lethal force against demonstrators.
The core allegation in the investigation report states that during the July–August 2024 protests, Sheikh Hasina issued direct orders for widespread and systematic repression of demonstrators amounting to genocide, murder, and severe torture.
According to the tribunal’s findings, more than 1,500 people were killed and over 25,000 injured or maimed during the crackdown. The judgment concluded that the violence, carried out under centralized command, amounted to genocide, murder, and torture under international humanitarian law