As per reports, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Monday (17 November) has found former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity in connection with her government’s response to last year’s student-led protests.

The special tribunal sentences ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. Her former interior minister and police chief have also been sentenced, who were found guilty of allowing the use of lethal force against protesters and failing to prevent atrocities against them.

• The 78-year-old former leader, currently in exile and tried in absentia, was charged with being the “mastermind and principal architect” of the security operations conducted during the mass demonstrations, in which an estimated 1,400 people were reported killed.
• The 2024 protests resulted in the end of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure. She has remained in India since leaving office and has not appeared publicly.
• The now-banned Awami League has rejected the tribunal’s findings, describing the proceedings as politically motivated, and has urged supporters to hold demonstrations, prompting concerns about potential unrest.
• During the trial, prosecutors told the court they had uncovered evidence of Hasina’s direct command to use lethal force to suppress the student-led uprising.
• Bangladesh has experienced heightened tension ahead of the verdict, with reports of at least 30 crude bomb explosions and 26 vehicles set on fire across the country in recent days.