Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity, sentencing her to death following a months-long trial, according to local media reports. The three-judge panel delivered the verdict under tight security, with additional military and paramilitary forces deployed around the tribunal.
The charges stem from the student-led uprising of July–August last year, during which prosecutors allege the then Awami League government violently cracked down on protesters. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are also on trial, with Al-Mamun serving as a state witness. Hasina and Kamal were tried in absentia after fleeing the country.
Security has been heightened not only in Dhaka but also in Gopalganj, Madaripur, and Faridpur as authorities brace for possible unrest. Analysts warn the verdict could trigger major political fallout just months ahead of the national elections.