On October 16, 2025, the political landscape of Bangladesh was rocked by a dramatic development: the chief prosecutor of the country’s International Crimes Tribunal, Muhammad Tajul Islam, called for the death penalty against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The charge? Crimes against humanity, stemming from the deadly crackdown on mass protests that swept the nation between July and August 2024—a period that left a deep scar on Bangladesh’s recent history.
The case against Hasina, now 78 and living in exile in India, has captured both national and international attention. According to the United Nations, as many as 1,400 people lost their lives during the 46 days of unrest, with thousands more injured. The violence, which erupted during a student-led uprising, saw intense confrontations between protesters and state security forces. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that most of those killed were victims of actions taken by state security forces. Bangladesh’s own interim government health adviser cited over 800 deaths and about 14,000 people injured, though Hasina’s party has challenged these figures and demanded independent investigations.
Prosecutor Tajul Islam did not mince words in his address to the tribunal in Dhaka. As reported by the Associated Press and echoed by the state-run BSS news agency, he described Hasina as the “mastermind and principal architect” behind the bloodshed. “Sheikh Hasina is the mastermind of all the crimes. She is an unrepentant, heartless criminal. She deserves the maximum punishment. No mercy should be shown to her regarding the death penalty,” Islam declared. He went further, stating, “For the murder of 1,400 people, she ought to have been hanged 1,400 times. But since that is not possible, it is appropriate to impose the maximum punishment in order to establish rightful justice, so that in future no one can kill the citizens of their own country in this way.”
The prosecution’s case is built on five charges of crimes against humanity, including failure to prevent murder and ordering the use of lethal force. Audio tapes presented in court—verified by police—allegedly captured Hasina instructing security forces to “use lethal weapons” against protesters and to “shoot wherever they find [them].” The prosecution contends that Hasina’s goal was to cling to power permanently for herself and her family. “She has turned into a hardened criminal and shows no remorse for the brutality she has committed,” Islam told reporters, according to Le Monde and AFP.
Hasina is not the only target of the tribunal’s sweeping charges. Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, also believed to be in India, has been named as part of the so-called “Gang of Four” responsible for the crackdown and faces a similar call for the death penalty. The third major figure, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is in custody after pleading guilty and turning state witness against Hasina and Khan. The tribunal, which began hearing the case on June 1, 2025, has listened to months of testimony, including from a man whose face was shattered by gunfire during the protests. In total, 54 prosecution witnesses have testified, with the defense given the opportunity for cross-examination.
Hasina and Khan are being tried in absentia, a situation that has only fueled controversy. Since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, Hasina has remained in New Delhi, defying repeated court orders to return and face the charges. The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has requested her extradition from India—a request that, as of yet, has gone unanswered. Yunus, who took charge three days after Hasina’s fall, has vowed to punish her and has banned the activities of her Awami League party, effectively sidelining it from the political process as the country eyes elections scheduled for February 2026.
For her part, Hasina has refused to recognize the tribunal’s authority, calling it a “kangaroo court.” She has not appointed legal representation, though a state-appointed counsel has asked for more time to present arguments on her behalf. The Awami League, now banned, maintains that the charges are politically motivated—a sentiment echoed by Hasina’s supporters both at home and abroad. No immediate reaction was available from her party following the prosecutor’s latest demands.
The trial is unfolding against a backdrop of heightened political tension in Bangladesh. In addition to the charges against Hasina and her closest associates, 25 former and current military officials—including some who once led the country’s powerful military intelligence unit—have been indicted in three separate cases related to enforced disappearances during Hasina’s 15-year rule. The military confirmed that 15 officers are in custody within the Dhaka Cantonment, while others are believed to have fled the country. Most key Awami League leaders are either in jail or on the run, as the interim government cracks down on remnants of the old regime.
Hasina’s legacy is a complicated one. The daughter of the revolutionary who led Bangladesh to independence in 1971, she presided over a period of rapid economic growth and modernization. But her tenure was also marked by allegations of authoritarianism, including the jailing of political rivals, passage of laws curtailing press freedom, and accusations of human rights abuses—including the murder of opposition activists. In July 2025, she was convicted in absentia for contempt of court and sentenced to six months in prison. Ongoing corruption cases have also ensnared her relatives, including her daughter Saima Wazed, a senior UN official, and her niece Tulip Siddiq, a British lawmaker—both of whom deny any wrongdoing.
The prosecution has also called for compensation to be paid to victims of the 2024 uprising, suggesting that it come from the assets of those convicted. The next tribunal proceedings are scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, with more arguments expected before a final verdict is rendered. The interim government under Yunus has pledged that elections will be held in February, but with the Awami League banned, the country’s political future remains deeply uncertain.
As Bangladesh stands at a crossroads, the outcome of this high-stakes trial will likely shape not just the fate of Sheikh Hasina, but the very direction of the nation she once led. The world watches as the tribunal moves toward its verdict, with the echoes of last year’s violence still reverberating through Bangladeshi society.