Bangladesh court sentences seven Hasina-era Awami League leaders to death

A Bangladesh court has convicted seven senior members of the former ruling Awami League party of crimes against humanity, including murder and incitement to violence.

The verdict relates to the government’s response to the student-led uprising that took place in July and August 2024. The protests eventually ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.

The seven men were sentenced by a three-member tribunal headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam welcomed the decision, saying, “We are happy with the verdict.”

Former ministers among those sentenced

The people sentenced include Obaidul Quader, the former general secretary of the Awami League, and Mohammad Ali Arafat, a former minister.

The other five are AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Saddam Hussain and Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.

All seven were tried in absentia, meaning they were not present in court during the proceedings.

The court also ordered that half of the assets belonging to five of the men be distributed as compensation to families of people killed or injured during the uprising.

United Nations reported 1,400 deaths

According to the United Nations, as many as 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024, when Hasina’s government attempted to suppress the protests.

The uprising began as a student-led movement but grew into a wider challenge to the government. Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 and travelled by helicopter to neighbouring India, where she remains.

She was sentenced to death by hanging in absentia in November 2025. Hasina has rejected the authority of the court and has not accepted the proceedings against her.

Defence challenges death sentences

The state-appointed defence lawyer, M Hasan Imam, disputed the severity of the punishment.

He said the seven men were not directly involved in the killings and argued that the court could have imposed lesser sentences.

“They were not directly involved in the killings, they have been convicted due to their fellow activists and supporters,” he said.

The defence position contrasts with the prosecution’s case, which held the former leaders responsible for crimes linked to the suppression of the uprising.

68 convicted in protest-related trials

Tuesday’s verdict brings the total number of people convicted in trials connected to the 2024 protests to 68.

Of those, 22 have received death sentences. However, only four of the people sentenced to death are currently in custody, according to the report.

The cases remain part of a wider legal process following the fall of Hasina’s government. The trials have also drawn attention to questions about accountability, due process and the treatment of political figures who are no longer in power.

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Bangladesh seeks Hasina’s extradition

The government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which won a landslide victory in February’s elections, has requested Hasina’s extradition from India.

The election was the first held since Hasina was ousted in 2024. However, Hasina, who is 78, has said she plans to return to Bangladesh voluntarily in December, despite the death sentence against her.

Her return and the government’s extradition request remain important developments in the continuing political and legal fallout from the uprising.

58 Awami League leaders and activists arrested

Separately, Bangladesh police have arrested 58 Awami League leaders and activists in Jashore and Munshiganj, where the party’s activities are currently banned.

In Jashore, at least 27 leaders and activists were arrested during a special operation carried out across areas under nine police stations on Monday night.

Mirazul Islam, additional superintendent of Jashore district police, said the operation was based on information that the detainees were planning subversive activities.

Police also recovered narcotics, crude bomb-like objects and materials allegedly used to make bombs, according to the official.

The detainees were presented before a court after police registered a case under the Explosive Substances Act at Kotwali Police Station. The court later sent them to jail.

In Munshiganj, police arrested 31 Awami League leaders and activists early Tuesday. They were accused of preparing to organise a flash procession.