On November 17, 2025, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) delivered a verdict that sent shockwaves through the nation and reverberated across South Asia: former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. The charges stem from her government’s violent crackdown on student-led protests in July and August of 2024, a period that saw the ouster of the Awami League government and left the political landscape of Bangladesh in turmoil. The verdict, widely anticipated and fiercely debated, has thrown the country into a state of heightened tension and uncertainty, with questions swirling about the future of Hasina, her party, and the broader political order.
The trial, which began on June 1, 2025, and concluded after 28 working days on October 23, was one of the most closely watched legal proceedings in Bangladesh’s history. According to Reuters and BBC News Bangla, 54 witnesses took the stand, painting a harrowing picture of state-backed violence during the nationwide student protests that erupted in the summer of 2024. The ICT charged Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun with ordering mass killings to crush what became known as the “July Uprising.” While Hasina and Kamal were declared fugitives and tried in absentia, Mamun appeared before the tribunal and later turned approver.
Central to the prosecution’s case was the allegation that Hasina, on July 14, 2024, referred to the student protesters as “children and grandchildren of Rajakars”—a loaded term in Bangladesh, synonymous with traitor and historically tied to those who sided with Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War. Prosecutors argued that Hasina’s words were not mere rhetoric but a prelude to lethal action. Witnesses recounted that security forces and Awami League members, acting on orders from Hasina, Kamal, and other senior officials, unleashed a brutal crackdown. Helicopters, drones, and live ammunition were reportedly deployed against demonstrators, resulting in the deaths of more than a thousand protesters.
Among the most chilling allegations was the murder of Abu Sayeed, a student at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, who was reportedly targeted and killed at the behest of Hasina and her associates. Further, on August 5, 2024, law enforcement officers allegedly shot and killed six people in Dhaka’s Chankharpul neighborhood on Hasina’s orders. The brutality did not end there: Hasina is also accused of ordering the burning of five dead bodies and an injured person inside a police car in Ashulia, Dhaka. These acts, prosecutors contended, were part of a systematic campaign to quash dissent and maintain the Awami League’s grip on power.
The verdict has not only legal but also profound political implications. Hasina, aged 78, has been residing in India since her government’s fall and has repeatedly ignored court summons to return and face trial. Bangladesh’s government has for months demanded her extradition, but India has so far not responded—especially to a previous, less severe extradition plea. With national elections scheduled for February 2026, the prospect of a newly elected Bangladeshi government ramping up pressure on India looms large. As BBC News Bangla noted, “If an elected government comes to power following the scheduled Bangladesh national elections in February next year and pushes for her extradition, or puts pressure to stop her from carrying on party activities from there, it could make it more difficult for India to ignore such a request from an elected government.”
The immediate aftermath of the verdict has been marked by unrest and a heavy security presence. According to reports from Bangladesh media and Reuters, violence erupted in Dhaka and surrounding areas as news of the verdict spread. A car was set on fire near a police station, cocktail explosions were reported outside the home of an advisor to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, and additional explosions occurred at the main gate of Titumir College and the Amtali intersection. Buses were torched in several neighborhoods. Dhaka Police Commissioner Sajjat Ali responded with a stern warning: “Anyone trying to set fire to a bus or throw a cocktail bomb, then they will have to shoot on sight.” Security forces, including the Border Guard Bangladesh, were deployed at the International Crimes Tribunal premises to maintain order and deter further violence.
The political fallout has been swift and severe. Even before the verdict, the court imposed a ban on media outlets publishing what it termed Hasina’s “provocative statements”—a move condemned by her party, the Awami League. The interim government has also banned the party’s activities by executive order. Since the government’s ouster, the Awami League has been largely absent from the political scene. Most of its top leaders are either in exile—many alongside Hasina in India—or have been arrested. The party maintains there is no internal debate over Hasina’s leadership, but mounting legal restrictions and diplomatic pressure could soon force a strategic rethink.
Hasina’s conviction is especially ironic given that the ICT was established by her own government in 2010 to prosecute war crimes from the 1971 Liberation War. The tribunal, which was initially hailed as a step toward justice for historical atrocities, now stands at the center of a deeply polarizing moment in Bangladesh’s contemporary history. Critics argue that the ICT has been used as a political tool, while supporters insist that it is an essential mechanism for accountability, regardless of the accused’s stature.
For Bangladeshis, the current crisis raises difficult questions about justice, accountability, and the rule of law. Can a tribunal established to heal old wounds serve the cause of justice when it is turned against its own architect? What does the future hold for the Awami League, a party that has dominated Bangladeshi politics for decades but now finds itself leaderless and besieged? And how will India, a regional power with deep historical and strategic ties to Bangladesh, navigate the mounting calls for Hasina’s extradition?
As the dust settles on this historic verdict, one thing is clear: Bangladesh stands at a crossroads. The coming months will test the resilience of its institutions, the resolve of its political actors, and the patience of its people. The world, too, is watching closely, aware that the fate of one leader may shape the destiny of an entire nation.
