Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Monday, November 17, pronounced death sentence for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after it held her guilty for crimes against humanity. Prosecutors told the court that Hasina gave direct orders to use lethal force to suppress the uprising.
The tribunal said that Hasina deserves maximum punishment for the crimes she has committed during last year’s uprising.
The tribunal concluded hearings on October 23 after 28 working days. During the hearing 54 witnesses were testified about the state's response to the student-led movement that toppled Hasina's government on August 5, 2024.
Where is Sheikh Hasina currently living?
Notably, Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh on the very day the regime collapsed amid spiralling protests and has since been living in exile in India. According to reports, Hasina has been living in New Delhi’s Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone, an area known for its high-security government residences. The Indian government has provided her with a secure safe house due to ongoing threats to her safety, and she remains under strict protection.
She faces multiple charges linked to the violent mass uprising that toppled her government in August 2024. A United Nations human rights report estimates that as many as 1,400 people were killed between 15 July and 15 August during the “July Revolution,” as her administration unleashed a brutal security crackdown.
Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy (referred to as Kamal in some reports) have been declared fugitives and are being tried in absentia, while co-accused Abdul Momin Mamun initially appeared in court before turning state witness.
Security has been tightened across the country ahead of the verdict. On Sunday evening, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali authorised shoot-on-sight orders against anyone engaged in arson, bombings, or attacks on police and civilians.
Hasina’s now-banned Awami League called for a two-day countrywide shutdown in protest against the impending judgement. Army troops, Border Guard Bangladesh forces, and riot police have been heavily deployed around the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) complex in Dhaka, with most streets in the capital remaining eerily empty amid widespread fears of fresh violence.
