Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sentenced to Death Over Involvement in Protest Crackdown

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by a tribunal in Dhaka for her involvement in last year’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

The Details: The three-person International Crimes Tribunal–Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court–found Hasina and her top officials guilty of crimes against humanity, including orchestrating and facilitating organized violence against student protesters and conspiring in the killing of civilians. According to a United Nations report, the demonstrations between July 15 and Aug. 5, 2024 resulted in roughly 1,400 deaths mostly caused by gunfire from security forces. It also said approximately 14,000 people were injured, marking it as the deadliest political violence in Bangladesh since its 1971 war of independence. The verdict was reportedly met with cheers from some spectators and legal representatives in court.

For Context: The majority student-led protests in 2024 reflected widespread frustration over rising inflation, high unemployment, and perceived authoritarian governance. Hasina, who had ruled for 15 years, fled to neighboring India last August, which is where she has stayed in self-imposed exile. She was sentenced in absentia. From India, she issued a statement dismissing the court as a “rigged tribunal”. The verdict comes ahead of elections in February.

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the political spectrum detailed the protest crackdown and the death toll, and said the ruling could stir political unrest and negatively impact the upcoming election. BBC (Center) highlighted broader regional and political implications of the decision, specifically in relation to India which it said will be “put under pressure” to extradite Hasina. It also highlighted Bangladesh’s strategic importance to Delhi, noting that refusing extradition could strain bilateral relations. Outlets on the left framed Hasina’s sentencing in terms of ‘crimes against humanity,’–the legal classification of the case–emphasizing the tribunal’s formal charges and claims of Hasina’s authoritarianism. Outlets on the right noted protests and clashes leading up to and after the verdict, including at least 30 crude bombs reportedly detonated in recent days.

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