The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ex-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death for crimes against humanity during the July uprising. The tribunal also ordered that all their assets in Bangladesh be confiscated and placed under state ownership.
In the same verdict, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who appeared as a key prosecution witness, was sentenced to five years in prison.
The ruling was delivered on Monday by a three-member panel of ICT-1, led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder, with Justices Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members. The first part of the 453-page verdict, divided into six chapters, was read by Justice Chowdhury at 12:40 pm. The condensed version of the verdict was concluded by 2:50 pm, officially declaring the death sentences for Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
The case stems from a violent crackdown during the mass student and public protests in July 2024, which ultimately led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s nearly 16-year government on August 5, 2024. Following the government’s collapse, Hasina fled to India. Both Hasina and Khan Kamal remain fugitives in India, while Al-Mamun appeared in court, admitted his role, and testified as a prosecution witness.
The tribunal filed the charges against the three individuals for a total of five allegations:
Delivering inciting statements at a press conference at Ganobhaban on July 14, 2024.
Ordering the use of helicopters, drones, and lethal weapons to eliminate protestors.
Ordering the killing of student Abu Saeed in Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University.
Ordering the killing of six protestors in Chankharpul, Dhaka.
Ordering the burning deaths of six individuals in Ashulia.
On July 10, 2025, the tribunal formally framed charges against Sheikh Hasina, Khan Kamal, and Al-Mamun, marking the start of the trial. The prosecution argued that under Hasina’s direction, armed forces killed over 1,500 unarmed students and citizens and injured around 30,000 people during the crackdown.
Initially, Sheikh Hasina was the sole accused. Al-Mamun was added as an accused on March 16, 2025, and later became a key witness after admitting guilt. Khan Kamal’s name was included in the investigative report submitted to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office on May 12, 2025.
A total of 54 witnesses, including Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP), testified during the trial, which concluded on October 8, 2025. Final arguments were heard between October 12 and October 23, 2025, before the verdict was scheduled for November 17.
Prosecutor Gazi Monowar noted that because Hasina and Khan Kamal are fugitives, they cannot appeal their death sentences unless they surrender or are apprehended by law enforcement. Under the ICT law, appeals must be filed within 30 days of the verdict.
Earlier this year, an audio recording of Sheikh Hasina claiming to have “received a license to kill 226 people” surfaced, which the prosecution argued attempted to obstruct the judicial process. She was sentenced to six months of rigorous imprisonment in a contempt of court case by ICT-1 on July 2.
