Summary (tl;dr)

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh for "crimes against humanity," stemming from a deadly crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.

Essential Background

Sheikh Hasina served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh for an extended period, leading the Awami League party. Her government was ultimately toppled on August 5, 2024, following widespread student-led protests, initially against a public sector job quota system, which escalated into a mass uprising demanding her resignation. After her government's collapse, she fled to neighboring India, where she has been living in exile under protection. The protests were met with a severe security crackdown, which a UN rights office report estimated resulted in up to 1,400 deaths between July and August 2024.

The Full Story

On Monday, November 17, 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal found former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina guilty of committing "crimes against humanity" during the student uprising in 2024. The tribunal, sitting in Dhaka, sentenced her to death, along with her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, also tried in absentia. Hasina, who remains in exile in New Delhi, India, has dismissed the verdict as "biased and politically motivated," asserting that the tribunal was established by an "unelected government with no democratic mandate". In anticipation of the verdict and to protest it, her now-banned Awami League party called for a nationwide strike on November 16 and 17, leading to heightened security measures, including the deployment of armed guards, riot police, and paramilitary forces across Dhaka and other areas. Incidents of crude bomb explosions and arson have been reported in the capital, and Awami League workers have been arrested.

Why It Matters

This landmark death sentence for a former head of government carries immense political weight for Bangladesh, threatening to ignite further unrest and destabilize the nation. With parliamentary elections anticipated in February 2026, and the Awami League currently barred from contesting, the verdict could deepen political divisions and trigger large-scale protests, especially given warnings from Hasina's son that Awami League supporters would not permit elections without their party's participation. The situation also puts India in a delicate diplomatic position as it provides shelter to Hasina, while Bangladesh's interim government has formally requested her extradition. International actors are closely monitoring the evolving situation, which will significantly influence Bangladesh's democratic trajectory and its standing in South Asia.

Geographic Location

• Dhaka, Bangladesh (International Crimes Tribunal verdict, heightened security measures, protests, and the fall of Sheikh Hasina's regime)
• New Delhi, Delhi, India (where Sheikh Hasina is living in exile)
• Narayanganj, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh (arrests of Awami League workers during the strike)