Dhaka: Bangladesh entered a tense new chapter on Monday as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) delivered a dramatic judgment sentencing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity linked to last year’s July unrest. The verdict, unprecedented in scale and political impact, has intensified nationwide security concerns while raising global attention on the tribunal proceedings.
The tribunal also convicted two of Hasina’s closest confidants—former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun—on similar charges. Mamun, who turned state witness, has been pardoned but will still receive a “lenient sentence,” according to the court. He is the first accused to cooperate with prosecutors since the tribunal was formed in 2010.
The panel of judges, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, began reading out the 453-page verdict in a session broadcast live by Bangladesh Television (BTV). Formal sentencing will be concluded once the full judgment is delivered. Prosecutors have detailed five charges, including failure to prevent murder—a crime recognised as an offence against humanity under national law—and have sought the death penalty for all three accused.
The charge sheets submitted to the court are extensive, spanning 8,747 pages of evidence, witness accounts, references, and victim lists, reports The Dhaka Tribune. Authorities have also requested the confiscation of the convicts’ assets to be redistributed among victims’ families.
Hasina, who has rejected all allegations, has not complied with the court’s summons and remains outside the country. Asaduzzaman is also on the run, while Mamun continues to assist investigators from custody.
Dhaka Under Tight Security Amid Unrest
Security measures across the capital have reached extraordinary levels following rising violence in the run-up to the verdict. On Sunday night, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali issued a ‘shoot-at-sight’ order targeting individuals involved in arson attacks, explosive devices, or attempts to harm civilians and police personnel.
The clampdown comes alongside a sharp escalation in unrest. A two-day strike called by Hasina’s Awami League for November 16–17 has coincided with a spike in cocktail explosions and arson incidents in Dhaka. Special operations have intensified across districts, and at least 21 Awami League leaders and workers—already barred from political activity—were detained in Narayanganj within 36 hours, according to The Daily Star.
As the ICT continues reading out its full judgment, Bangladesh remains on high alert, bracing for potential backlash and political upheaval following one of the most consequential rulings in the country’s recent history.
