Bangladesh Tribunal Sentences Seven Aides of Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Death

A three-member tribunal in Dhaka, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, has sentenced seven aides of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia for their roles in attempting to suppress the country's 2024 uprising.

The seven individuals, all members of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, were found guilty of crimes against humanity, which included murder and the instigation of killings. Among those convicted are former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat and Awami League General-Secretary Obaidul Quader.

To date, 68 people have faced conviction in connection with the crackdown, resulting in 22 death sentences, though only four of the convicted individuals remain in custody. Sheikh Hasina herself, aged 78, previously received a death sentence by hanging last November for her involvement in the crackdown on the 2024 uprising that forced her to flee after ruling for 15 years.

State-appointed defence lawyer M Hasan Imam noted that the seven men were not directly engaged in physical killings and argued that the tribunal could have issued a lighter sentence. Aside from Mohammad Ali Arafat and Obaidul Quader, the remaining five defendants are AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Saddam Hussain, and Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.

Additionally, the tribunal ordered the seizure of half of the assets belonging to five of the men to provide compensation for the families of individuals who were killed or injured during the crackdown. United Nations figures indicate that up to 1,400 people lost their lives and thousands sustained injuries due to actions by security forces and supporters of Sheikh Hasina during the unrest. Sheikh Hasina currently resides in exile in India, though she has stated an intention to return to Bangladesh in December of this year.