A Bangladesh court on Tuesday sentenced seven senior figures from ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s former ruling party to death in absentia over their alleged roles in the crackdown on anti-government protests in 2024. The defendants were convicted of crimes against humanity, including inciting and ordering killings, according to the supplied source.
Those sentenced include former Awami League Secretary-General Obaidul Quader and former Information Minister Mohammad Ali Arafat. The other five defendants also held positions in the Awami League. Prosecutor Mohammad Aminul Islam welcomed the ruling, saying the charges had largely been established beyond reasonable doubt.
The court ordered the seizure of half of the defendants’ assets to provide compensation to families of people killed or injured during the protests. A court-appointed defense lawyer, M Hasan Imam, disputed the severity of the sentences, arguing that the men had not been directly involved in the killings.
The unrest began as a student-led movement and grew into a nationwide revolt against Hasina’s government. The United Nations estimates that as many as 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed during the protests in July and August 2024. Hasina fled to India by helicopter on August 5, ending more than 15 years in power.
The supplied report says Hasina was convicted separately in November 2025 and sentenced to death in absentia over her role in the crackdown. Hasina and the Awami League have rejected the proceedings as politically biased. Tuesday’s verdict brings the number of people convicted in trials connected with the uprising to 68, according to AFP, with 22 receiving death sentences and only four of those convicted in custody. Bangladesh’s government, led by Tarique Rahman after February elections, has requested Hasina’s extradition from India.