Bangladesh court has convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of firing on unarmed civilians and crimes against humanity. The court has sentenced him to death. The court found that Sheikh Hasina had ordered the use of lethal weapons and drones to suppress and kill the protesters. Due to this serious crime he has been sentenced to death. The court also said in its decision that crimes against humanity were committed on the orders of Sheikh Hasina and her associates.

The court said in its decision that under the first charge, Sheikh Hasina did not fulfill the responsibility of handling the situation and stopping the violence. The evidence also revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) could be guilty in this case. The court told that after July 19, continuous meetings were held at the Home Minister’s residence, in which instructions were given to suppress the student movement. Sheikh Hasina ordered a core committee to target the protesters, while Awami League supporters actively harassed the protesters. During interrogation by the IGP, he admitted his involvement in the alleged acts.

The court presented a total of 54 witnesses

The court heard the statements of a total of 54 witnesses and said that this number is sufficient. Evidence received from across the country and additional evidence from various sources were also examined. Also, the report of the United Nations agency was studied and it was concluded that crimes against humanity were committed on the orders of Sheikh Hasina and the Home Minister.

What did the Chief Justice of ICT say during the hearing?

ICT Chief Justice said during the hearing that Sheikh Hasina had given orders to kill the protesting students and other citizens. The court said that in a phone conversation with the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, Hasina gave instructions for violent action and insulted the students, which further incited the protests.

The tribunal made it clear that Hasina’s statements were derogatory and inciting violence. He deliberately planned to take people’s lives through his orders. The court also has records of the conversation between Hasina and the vice-chancellor of the university, which confirm her orders.

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The situation of political violence in Bangladesh has become very bad in the last one year after the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power. Due to the student movement, Hasina had to leave her post and go to India in August 2024, and since then there is a period of instability in the country. The head of the interim government, Mohammad Yunus, may be claiming that everything is fine, but he is being criticized a lot. Dhaka-based human rights organization Odhikar has said in its latest report that between August 2024 and September 2025, about 300 people were killed in political violence and mob attacks.

281 people died in political conflicts in one year
The official report said that during this period, 281 people were killed in violence between different political parties. The report also states that 40 people were unlawfully murdered on suspicion of crimes, while 153 people were beaten to death by the mob.

Question on police accountability
ASM Naseeruddin Allen, director of Odhikar, said that human rights violations have reduced compared to the Hasina regime, but police and law and order are still in a bad state. He said that custodial deaths, bribery and torture of victims are still happening. He also said that many innocent people are facing punishment on suspicion of having links with Awami League, while this party is now banned.

History of large-scale repression under Hasina government
Allen reminded that there were widespread human rights violations during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule. During that period, opposition leaders were arrested in large numbers, extrajudicial killings took place in many cases and many people were forcibly disappeared.

Accusations of extortion on political parties
It has been said in the report that even after the fall of Hasina government, complaints of extortion from common people by political parties are continuously being received. The names of organizations like Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Jamaat-e-Islami are said to be included in this. These parties have been accused of extorting money from common citizens and creating pressure.

Increase in mob attacks due to police weakness
According to the report of Odhikar, the incidents of mob violence have increased in the country because the police structure has become very weak. The report alleged that the former government made political use of the police, causing both their efficiency and morale to decline. This is the reason why law and order is not working adequately. There has been no response so far from the interim government of Bangladesh or any major political party on this report of Odhikar.