Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death by Bangladesh Tribunal
Why in the news
On 17 November 2025, the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka sentenced former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity linked to the 2024 protests. The verdict was delivered in her absence.
Key facts
- Court: International Crimes Tribunal, Dhaka.
- Charge: crimes against humanity connected with the 2024 student-led protests.
- In absentia: Hasina has been in exile in India since stepping down in August 2024.
- Co-accused: former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death; a former police chief, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, received a prison term.
- Casualties: a UN estimate puts deaths in the uprising at up to 1,400.
- Assets: the court ordered confiscation of properties of both Hasina and Kamal.
Background and reactions
The tribunal held Hasina responsible for ordering lethal force and for failing to stop the violence. Hasina described the verdict as biased and politically motivated. Security forces were deployed across the country amid fears of retaliation, and the ruling adds diplomatic pressure on India over the question of extradition.
Exam angle
- Note the court name and city: International Crimes Tribunal, Dhaka.
- Know the term in absentia, meaning a trial held without the accused present.
- Link the case to India-Bangladesh relations and extradition issues.