Dhaka: Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity, sparking cheers in the packed courtroom as the verdict was read. The 78-year-old leader, who has been living in India since her ouster in August 2024, did not attend the trial and has rejected the court’s authority.

Why was she convicted?

The court found Hasina guilty on three counts: incitement, ordering killings, and in action to prevent atrocities. The charges relate to a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising that toppled her government, during which up to 1,400 people were reportedly killed, according to the United Nations. Prosecutors called her actions crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.

"All the... elements constituting crimes against humanity have been fulfilled," judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder read to the packed court in Dhaka.

Hasina was "found guilty on three counts", including incitement, order to kill, and inaction to prevent the atrocities, Mozumder said.

"We have decided to inflict her with only one sentence -- that is, sentence of death."

Who else was sentenced?

Former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, also living abroad, received a death sentence for four counts of crimes against humanity. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, the ex-police chief who appeared in court and pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Was she in court?

No. Hasina refused to return from India and was tried in absentia. She called the trial a “jurisprudential joke” and dismissed all charges against her. A state-appointed lawyer represented her during proceedings.

The verdict comes ahead of Bangladesh’s first elections since Hasina’s overthrow, scheduled for February 2026. Dhaka was on high alert for potential unrest, with checkpoints and heavy police deployment. Violence has already marred the city, including petrol bomb attacks on government buildings and buses. The interim government has also banned her former party, the Awami League, intensifying political tensions.

What’s next for Bangladesh?

Analysts warn that the verdict could deepen political instability, while Hasina’s supporters have condemned the ruling as politically motivated. Her Awami League party has called for a nationwide shutdown to protest the verdict.