Bangladesh Tribunal Sentences Seven Sheikh Hasina Party Leaders To Death
Bangladesh tribunal delivers death sentences to seven leaders.
A Bangladesh court on Tuesday sentenced seven senior leaders of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League to death in absentia for their roles in attempts to suppress the 2024 student-led uprising. The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, convicted the men of crimes against humanity, including murder and inciting and provoking killings during the unrest.
Among those sentenced are former Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and former minister Mohammad Ali Arafat. The other five are AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Saddam Hussain and Sheikh Wali Asif Enan. Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam welcomed the ruling, saying the prosecution was satisfied with the verdict.
The United Nations has estimated that as many as 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024, when Hasina’s government sought to suppress the protests. The uprising, which began as a student movement, eventually grew into a nationwide challenge to Hasina’s 15-year rule. She fled Bangladesh in August 2024 and travelled to neighbouring India, where she has remained since then.
Also Read: Tripura CM In Assembly Describes DGP Anurag Dhankar’s Death As ‘Suicidal In Nature’
State-appointed defence lawyer M Hasan Imam argued that the seven men were not directly involved in the killings and said the court could have imposed lesser sentences. The tribunal also ordered that half of the assets belonging to five of the convicted men be distributed as compensation to families of people killed or injured during the uprising.
Tuesday’s ruling brings the number of people convicted in cases linked to the 2024 protests to 68, according to the prosecution. Of these, 22 have received death sentences, while only four are currently in custody. Hasina has rejected the authority of the court and has refused to accept the proceedings against her.
Hasina herself was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025. The government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which secured a landslide victory in February in Bangladesh’s first elections since Hasina’s ouster, has sought her extradition from India. Hasina, 78, has said she intends to return to Bangladesh voluntarily in December despite the death sentence she faces.
Also Read: Remembering Vajpayee: PM Modi Pays Tribute on Former PM’s Death Anniversary
