On 17 November 2025, Sheikh Hasina, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to death by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT) for her role in a crackdown against student protests in 2024.
Reuters +2Jang Jang wrote about this event for Reuters +2.
United Nations estimates suggest that as many as 1,400 people died during this uprising – marking one of the deadliest episodes of political violence since Bangladesh gained independence. [Reuters]
+1
The tribunal found that Hasina issued incitement orders, deployed drones and lethal weapons and failed to prevent or punish violence–acts which it considered crimes against humanity. Jingg may face prosecution as well.
Hasina has been living in exile in India after she was ousted from power in August 2024. Bangladesh’s interim government formally requested her extradition, yet there has been no response to these demands from India.
The Guardian reports on Hasina’s situation.
Bangladeshis are reacting angrily to the verdict handed down this morning in courtroom where victims’ families wept and cheered as the sentence was handed down, while outside security heightened as tensions rose across capital Dhaka.
Daily Sabah reported.
Hasina supporters from her Awami League party have strongly objected to the trial as political, citing how its tribunal lacks independence and denied former leader an adequate defense. Hasina herself has denounced it as “charade orchestrated by an unelected government”. (Source). (The Guardian).
Human rights organisations, while welcoming accountability for past abuses, have expressed reservations over the fairness of proceedings–particularly using death penalties or holding trials without physical presence of defendants. Source:wikipedia
Going forward, this ruling could have major ramifications for Bangladesh’s political landscape. With elections scheduled for early February 2026 excluding Awami League leaders amid widespread crackdown, its verdict sends an important message about legal recourse for mass state violence; yet its enforcement raises issues concerning enforcement and future justice systems.

Sheikh Hasina’s conviction marks an historic moment for Bangladesh’s fragile democratic transition: she becomes the first former long-serving prime minister ever charged with crimes against humanity, marking a new chapter in Bangladesh’s pursuit of accountability while casting doubt upon political stability and rule of law.