Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has strongly responded to the death sentence issued against her by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
The verdict, delivered in absentia, found her guilty of “crimes against humanity” linked to last year’s student-led protests. In a sharp response issued minutes after the judgment, Hasina said the ruling showed the “brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures in an unelected government”.
Hasina denied all charges and said neither she nor her Awami League colleagues had any role in ordering violence. She also accused the tribunal of being politically motivated and refusing to give her or her party a fair chance to defend themselves.
What Sheikh Hasina said?
In her statement, Hasina said the tribunal did not allow her to present her lawyers of choice or make a proper defence. She argued that despite being called “international”, the tribunal was far from impartial.
“For the record, I wholly deny the accusations. I mourn all the deaths that happened last July and August, on both sides. But neither I nor other political leaders ordered the killing of protesters,” she said.
Hasina said the court carried out the trial in a “rigged manner”, and that the proceedings clearly lacked transparency or neutrality.
She pointed to three key issues she said exposed the tribunal’s bias:
• Senior judges and lawyers who earlier criticised the interim government were removed or silenced.
• The tribunal has prosecuted only Awami League members.
• No action has been taken against perpetrators from other political parties who were also accused of violence.
Sheikh Hasina accuses interim government
Hasina also targeted the interim government led by Dr Mohammad Yunus, saying it was using the tribunal to distract the public from growing unrest and failures in governance.
“Millions of Bangladeshis living under this chaotic and socially regressive administration will not be fooled,” she said. According to her, the ICT trials were designed to scapegoat the Awami League and shift attention away from the problems facing the nation.
She added that several international organisations, including global media, NGOs, and even bodies like the IMF, had raised concerns about the political situation in Bangladesh. Hasina also pointed out that Yunus was never elected, saying “not a single citizen has cast a vote for him”.
The former prime minister said she is ready to face charges in a truly fair and independent court. She challenged the interim government to take the matter to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, stressing that she is not afraid of a transparent judicial process.
What the ICT said in its verdict
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Mohd. Golam Mortuza Majumder, convicted Hasina and two of her former top officials, ex-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Al-Mamun. They were found guilty on three counts, including ordering a violent crackdown on student protesters.
The tribunal ruled that the three had conspired to use state machinery to suppress the uprising. However, the former police chief was pardoned after he apologised to both the tribunal and the people.
Hasina and Kamal were declared fugitives and sentenced in absentia.