Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has condemned the death sentence handed down to her by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) in Dhaka on Monday, November 17. The tribunal found Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity during the July–August 2024 unrest, including ordering killings, obstructing justice, and failing to prevent punitive attacks. Speaking after the verdict, Hasina accused the tribunal of being rigged and politically motivated, claiming it was orchestrated by an unelected government seeking to eliminate her leadership and weaken the Awami League. She described the ruling as a biased attempt to target Bangladesh’s last elected prime minister.
The ICT-1 also tried former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamaland and ex-Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun alongside Hasina. While Hasina received the death penalty, the tribunal spared Al-Mamun after he agreed to testify as a state witness. Court proceedings revealed that Hasina allegedly ordered helicopters and firearms to suppress protesters and denied medical aid, admitting injured victims under false names. The tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, broadcast the sentencing live, highlighting both the gravity of the crimes alleged and the controversial nature of the trial, which has drawn domestic and international attention.
Reacting to the verdict, Hasina labeled the tribunal’s decision as an attempt to nullify her political influence. She asserted that the death penalty exposed “the brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures” within the interim government. Hasina insisted that the trial lacked legitimacy, arguing that it was conducted by authorities without a democratic mandate and with clear political objectives. Human rights advocates and political analysts have expressed concern over the impartiality of the tribunal, raising questions about judicial fairness and due process in Bangladesh. The ruling has intensified political tensions, with potential implications for the country’s democratic institutions and stability.
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She stated in an official statement, "The verdicts announced against me have been made by a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate. They are biased and politically motivated. In their distasteful call for the death penalty, they reveal the brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government to remove Bangladesh’s last elected prime minister, and to nullify the Awami League as a political force."