Bangladesh Court Sentences Former PM Hasina to Death

A court in Bangladesh has sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death after convicting her of crimes against humanity, marking a dramatic escalation in the political turmoil that has gripped the country since her removal from office last year.

Delivering the verdict in a packed courtroom in Dhaka, Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder said Hasina had been found guilty on three charges, including incitement, issuing orders that led to killings, and failing to act to prevent atrocities. He stated that the court had imposed a single penalty: the death sentence.

The ruling was issued in absentia, as Sheikh Hasina, who governed Bangladesh for more than a decade, fled the country following mass protests in 2024.

In her first public response, Hasina condemned the ruling as politically motivated. In a statement, she said the verdict was handed down by an illegitimate court appointed by a non-elected government with no democratic mandate. She described the judgment as biased and driven by political vengeance.

Bangladesh experienced one of the largest uprisings in its history in August last year, when nationwide demonstrations forced Hasina from power after 15 consecutive years in office. The protests were initially triggered by a student-led movement calling for the abolition of a discriminatory quota system in public-sector hiring.

However, they quickly evolved into a wider national revolt fueled by long-standing frustration.

Public anger had been simmering for years over allegations of widespread corruption among government elites, soaring youth unemployment, and severe restrictions on democratic freedoms and opposition parties during Hasina’s tenure.

As violence escalated and hundreds were killed, pressure from both the public and the military intensified. On 5 August 2024, after protesters stormed her residence, Hasina resigned and fled Dhaka aboard a military helicopter bound for India.