The former prime minister is sentenced to death by a special tribunal for her role in a bloody crackdown on protesters in 2024.

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by a special tribunal in Dhaka. Hasina, who is in exile in India, was tried in absentia on several charges related to her government’s deadly crackdown on student protests in 2024.

Prosecuting Hasina was a key promise made by the interim government, which is led by the Nobel laureate, Muhammad Yunus.

Here is more about Monday’s verdict, and what happens next:

What was the verdict?

The special International Crimes Tribunal 1 (ICT) in Dhaka has found Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death.

The independent ICT was originally set up by Hasina herself in 2010 to investigate crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 war, which resulted in Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan. However, it has been criticised in the past by human rights organisations and her opponents who have accused her of using it for politically motivated purposes while she was in power.

In particular, Hasina has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of the charge of ordering the deployment of drones, helicopters and lethal weapons against protesters, and “by virtue of her order” the killings of protesters in Chankarpul of Dhaka and in Ashulia of Savar. Twelve protesters were killed in these two areas.

“Accused prime minister Sheikh Hasina committed crimes against humanity by her incitement order and also failure to take preventive and punitive measures under charge 1,” the verdict stated.

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“Accused Sheikh Hasina committed one count of crimes against humanity by her order to use drones, helicopters and lethal weapons under charge number 2,” the court said.

Additionally, the tribunal also issued a separate