DHAKA — A Bangladesh court on Tuesday sentenced seven senior aides of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the 2024 uprising that brought down her government.
The verdict was delivered by a three-member bench of the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. All seven convicts remain at large, with reports indicating they are living in self-imposed exile in India and the United States.
Who Was Sentenced
Those handed the death penalty include a mix of senior figures from Hasina’s Awami League and its affiliated wings:
- Obaidul Quader, former Awami League General Secretary
- Mohammad Ali Arafat, former State Minister for Information
- AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Joint General Secretary
- Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Youth Wing Chairman
- Moinul Hossain Nikhil, Youth Wing General Secretary
- Saddam Hussain, Student Wing President
- Sheikh Wali Asif Enan, Student Wing General Secretary
Assets Ordered Confiscated
The tribunal also ordered the confiscation of half the assets belonging to Quader, Nasim, Arafat and Parash. According to the verdict, the seized assets will be used to compensate the families of those killed or injured during the July uprising.
Hasina Already Under Sentence
Hasina herself was sentenced to death by the same tribunal last November over crimes against humanity and her alleged role in the violent crackdown during the protests that ultimately forced her government from power.
The United Nations has estimated that at least 1,400 people were killed and thousands more injured during the unrest, which involved security forces and supporters of Hasina’s Awami League.
Hasina fled Bangladesh and has been living in neighbouring India. She has nevertheless said she intends to return to Bangladesh in December.
Convictions Mount
With the latest verdicts, 68 people have now been convicted across seven judgments issued by the two tribunals, while 22 have received death sentences. Eighteen of the accused remain at large, while four are currently in custody.
