In a packed, sweltering courtroom in the capital, the judge’s voice cut through the tension on Monday: death. Sheikh Hasina, the 78-year-old who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, had just been convicted in absentia of crimes against humanity by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal.
Three Counts That Sealed Her Fate
Tried while living in exile, Hasina was found guilty of inciting violence, ordering killings, and failing to stop the bloodshed that marked her final months in power. Her former interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal – still on the run received the same sentence on four charges. Ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who admitted his role, walked away with five years.
The Bloody Summer of 2024
The prosecution’s case rested on a United Nations estimate: up to 1,400 people killed during the brutal crackdown on student-led protests that eventually forced Hasina from office in August last year. Those deaths became the heartbeat of the trial.
Hasina’s Defiant Silence from Abroad
From her undisclosed safe location, the former prime minister dismissed the entire process as a political witch-hunt. She refused to recognise the court the very tribunal she herself created in 2010 – forcing judges to appoint a state lawyer to stand in her place.
A Nation on Edge
The interim government called the verdict “historic” and begged citizens to stay calm. Instead, tear gas filled Dhaka’s streets as rival crowds clashed. In the days leading up, 30 crude bombs had exploded and 26 vehicles were torched – signs that peace remains a distant dream.
Her Son Breaks the Silence
Speaking to reporters from overseas, Sajeeb Wazed said the family always expected this outcome. “She is safe and under protection,” he insisted, confirming his mother now lives surrounded by foreign security.
Irony of a Court She Once Owned
The tribunal that condemned her was born under Hasina’s own administration to prosecute her political enemies. After her fall, the interim leaders simply turned the same weapon back on its creator.
February Elections Loom
With national polls just months away, Monday’s ruling has thrown fresh fuel on an already smouldering country. Justice has been declared – but whether it heals or deepens Bangladesh’s wounds remains the question hanging over the Padma tonight.
