Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina handed death sentence in absentia

Tuesday, 18 November 2025 03:24 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death after a domestic war-crimes tribunal found her guilty of directing a violent suppression of last year’s student-driven uprising.

Hasina, who has lived in India since fleeing Dhaka in August 2024 after a 15-year tenure, was tried in absentia. The proceedings followed months of hearings on the crackdown, during which UN estimates suggested that as many as 1,400 people may have been killed. Officials from the interim administration have offered lower figures, saying more than 800 were confirmed dead and around 14,000 injured.

Prosecutors had pushed for the maximum penalty, arguing that Hasina bore responsibility for the lethal response to the unrest. She is the daughter of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka announced the verdict under heavy security, with police and paramilitary forces deployed across the capital and other regions. The judgment may still be challenged before the Supreme Court.

Tension has risen nationwide in the lead-up to Monday’s decision. Over recent days, authorities have reported dozens of crude bomb blasts and multiple vehicles set on fire. The Awami League, Hasina’s party, has called for a nationwide shutdown in response to the ruling.