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Bangladesh Tribunal Sentences Ex–Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Death in Absentia Over 2024 Protest Crackdown

New Delhi acknowledges the ruling without committing to extradition, creating a diplomatic test for Dhaka.

Overview

  • The International Crimes Tribunal also sentenced former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death and gave ex–police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun a reduced five-year term for cooperating.
  • Hasina and Khan were tried in absentia while living in India, and under current procedure she cannot appeal unless she surrenders or is arrested in Bangladesh within 30 days.
  • The court found them responsible for crimes against humanity tied to lethal force during last year's student-led unrest, which UN rights officials estimate may have left up to about 1,400 people dead.
  • Bangladesh’s interim government has formally requested extradition; India has taken note of the verdict but has not said it will return the pair.
  • The ruling has intensified tensions with reports of arson, explosions, a protest strike and heavy security, as the Awami League remains barred ahead of elections scheduled for February.