Overview
- Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal convicted Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in absentia for crimes against humanity tied to the 2024 protest crackdown, sentencing both to death and jailing ex–police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al‑Mamun for five years.
- Judges found Hasina guilty of incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities, citing UN findings that up to about 1,400 people were killed and that most victims were shot by security forces.
- Hasina has lived in India since August 2024 after fleeing the unrest, and under Bangladeshi procedure she can appeal only if arrested or if she surrenders within specified time limits.
- Dhaka formally asked New Delhi to surrender Hasina and Khan under the bilateral extradition pact, while India said it had noted the verdict and would engage constructively but made no commitment; the treaty contains a political‑offence exception.
- Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch questioned the in absentia proceedings and the use of the death penalty; China called the case an internal matter, and tensions and political realignment continue ahead of the February 2026 elections.