Chciago – November 17, 2025
Bangladesh’s ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka. The International Crimes Tribunal found her guilty of crimes against humanity during the violent crackdown on a student-led uprising in July and August 2024, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,400 people.
Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024 amid the protests, was accused of ordering the use of lethal force against demonstrators. Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also sentenced to death, while the former police chief received a five-year prison term.
Following the verdict, Bangladesh’s interim government has formally demanded India extradite Hasina and Kamal, citing the bilateral extradition treaty that obligates India to transfer the convicted individuals. The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry warned that sheltering the convicts would be seen as an unfriendly act and a violation of justice. India, while acknowledging the verdict, has so far refrained from commenting directly on the extradition request.
The ruling marks Bangladesh’s most significant legal action against a former leader since its independence in 1971 and is likely to further strain relations between the two neighboring countries ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections expected in early 2026.
