Bangladesh Erupts in Turmoil After ICT Sentences Sheikh Hasina to Death
Massive conflicts and rioting have broken out across Bangladesh, including the capital city of Dhaka, in the aftermath of the International Crimes Tribunal's (ICT) decision to sentence former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death. The ruling concerned her alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the pivotal student movement that led to her government's fall in 2024. Reports indicate that at least two people lost their lives amid the widespread disturbances.
The volatile situation saw supporters of the ousted Awami League leader clashing fiercely with rival factions and heavily deployed police forces. Demonstrators created roadblocks on major arteries in Dhaka while engaging in marches. Security personnel, who were stationed across the country expecting post-verdict violence, used sound grenades, tear gas, and batons to break up the crowds, according to various Bangladeshi media outlets. Social media posts captured the intensity of the unrest, showing police chasing down protesters and loud explosions ringing out across the tense city.
A particularly tense location was the Dhanmondi 32 neighborhood, home to the property of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founder and Hasina's father. Protesters reportedly tried to advance on this site to commit acts of vandalism.
The clashes also pitted members of the now-banned Awami League against the Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, an entity composed of the student uprising coordinators. Anticipating the ruling, the Awami League had previously initiated a two-day nationwide strike, with Hasina dismissing the court's action as entirely "politically motivated."
The ICT found the 78-year-old Sheikh Hasina, who has been residing in exile in Delhi since her removal from power on August 5 last year, guilty on three main counts: inciting violence, ordering the murder of protesters, and failing to prevent atrocities during the student-led revolt. Furthermore, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan also received the death penalty, while ex-IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was sentenced to five years after pleading guilty and becoming a state witness.
Coming just months before the parliamentary elections scheduled for early February, this landmark judgment is poised to significantly redefine Bangladesh's entire political landscape. Hasina vehemently attacked the ruling as "biased" and issued by an "illegitimate tribunal." Conversely, the interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, commended the decision, asserting that no one is above the law, regardless of their position.
In the wake of the verdict, Bangladesh officially requested that India immediately extradite Hasina and Kamal due to their purported roles in the deadly July crackdown on student protests. New Delhi formally acknowledged the ICT ruling against Sheikh Hasina, stating its ongoing commitment "to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh," including supporting democracy, peace, and stability in the neighboring country.
