Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, and one of her close aides was sentenced to death in absentia on Monday for her alleged suppression of a student movement last year that resulted in hundreds of deaths and the ousting of her 15-year rule.
Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan were sentenced to death by the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for their alleged roles in the violent crackdown on student protests in 2024—a verdict she has dismissed as politically motivated. Hasina and Khan fled to India last year.
In addition to being found guilty on five counts of crimes against humanity, Hasina was given a prison term till natural death for making incendiary statements and directing the use of drones, helicopters, and deadly weapons to eliminate student protesters.
After testifying as a state witness against Hasina and entering a guilty plea, a third suspect, a former police chief, was given a five-year prison sentence.
According to the health adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, the student-led protests in July and August 2024 resulted in over 800 deaths and around 14,000 being injured. But in February, the UN estimated that up to 1,400 people had died.
Following the ruling, Bangladesh renewed its request to India for Hasina’s extradition. In a letter, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry requested the return of Hasina, who has been residing in New Delhi, citing an extradition agreement with India.
“Providing refuge to these individuals, who have been convicted of crimes against humanity, by any other country would be a highly unfriendly act and a disregard for justice,” the letter in Bengali reads.
However, India responded cautiously, emphasising commitment to peace and stability in Bangladesh without specifying its position on extradition. It is unlikely that they will be executed or imprisoned.
“India has noted the verdict announced by the ‘International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh’ concerning former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country. We will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end,” said a statement by India’s ministry of external affairs.
The 2013 extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh allows refusal of extradition if the offense is political, though Bangladesh may counter that murder is excluded from this exemption; Article 8 of the treaty further stipulates that India could deny extradition if the charges appeared not to be made in good faith. The process is expected to be lengthy and complicated, weighed down by legal, diplomatic, and geopolitical considerations.
India, which has longstanding ties with Hasina, is careful not to alienate a key ally amid growing concerns about rising radicalisation and shifts in Dhaka’s foreign relationships—especially renewed outreach toward Islamabad. The fate of Hasina’s party, the Awami League, now barred from upcoming national elections, adds another layer of complexity, as India views its participation as essential for ensuring fair and inclusive polls.
The former Bangladeshi prime minister argues her sentencing is a result of efforts by an unelected interim government to remove opposition, stressing her party’s historic commitment to electoral reforms and transparent democracy.
The accusations, according to Hasina, were unfounded because she and Khan “acted in good faith and were trying to minimise the loss of life.”
In a statement on Monday criticising the decision she described as “biased and politically motivated,” she added, “We lost control of the situation, but to characterise what happened as a premeditated assault on citizens is simply to misread the facts.”
In protest of the decision, her Awami League party called for a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday.
The verdict will potentially impact not only Hasina’s future but also Bangladesh’s broader political landscape.