Short News (60 Words): Hasina

Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal has sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death for ordering a deadly crackdown on last year’s student uprising, which killed up to 1,400 people. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan also received a death sentence. Hasina, now in exile in India, called the verdict politically motivated. The ruling comes ahead of crucial national elections in February 2026.

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Bangladesh was thrust into political turmoil on Monday after a war crimes tribunal sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death, finding her guilty of ordering a violent crackdown on last year’s nationwide student-led protests. The verdict marks one of the most dramatic moments in the country’s modern political history, coming as tensions rise ahead of national elections scheduled for early 2026.

The tribunal ruled that Hasina authorised the use of lethal force to suppress the student movement that erupted in June last year. Prosecutors claimed that the security crackdown killed as many as 1,400 protesters, making it one of the deadliest political episodes in Bangladesh’s recent past. After months of hearings, prosecutors demanded the maximum punishment, arguing that Hasina’s actions amounted to crimes against humanity.

The tribunal also handed down a death sentence to former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan. A third accused, a former police chief, received a five-year jail term after becoming a state witness and pleading guilty. The verdict was broadcast live from Dhaka, where supporters of the interim government cheered as the ruling was read.

Hasina, who has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh on 5 August last year, denounced the verdict as politically driven. Calling the tribunal “rigged” and “illegitimate”, she said she had been denied a fair chance to defend herself. In a statement after the ruling, Hasina insisted that she was willing to face trial before a “proper tribunal” where evidence could be tested openly and impartially.

Her party, the Awami League, announced a nationwide shutdown in protest, accusing the interim government of targeting its leaders to eliminate political opposition before next year’s election. The party has dismissed the tribunal as a “kangaroo court” created by an unelected caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Security was tightened across Dhaka and other major cities in anticipation of unrest. Paramilitary forces and police were deployed near key government buildings and university campuses. Dhaka’s police chief Sheikh Mohammad Sazzat Ali warned of a “shoot-on-sight” order against anyone attempting arson or bomb attacks, after nearly 50 incidents of arson and multiple crude-bomb blasts were reported in the past week. Local media said at least two people had already died in the ongoing violence.

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Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, said before the verdict that they would not appeal unless elections were held under a democratic government with full participation from all political parties. Under Bangladeshi law, the verdict can be challenged in the Supreme Court, but the Awami League says the current political environment makes any legal process meaningless.

The crisis has grown since last year’s student movement, which began as a protest against the quota system that reserved up to 30% of government jobs for descendants of 1971 war veterans. Students argued that the policy undermined meritocracy. The protests quickly escalated after clashes at Dhaka University and allegations that activists linked to the ruling Awami League attacked peaceful demonstrators.

Analysts warn that the verdict will deepen Bangladesh’s political divide. Thomas Kean of the International Crisis Group said Hasina’s chances of returning to power have become slim, but her refusal to relinquish control of the Awami League will continue to prevent the party from operating freely. He urged both sides to avoid further violence as the February 2026 polls draw closer.

With the country already on edge from bombings, shutdowns and widespread fear, the verdict against Hasina marks a turning point in Bangladesh’s political landscape — one that may shape its democracy for years to come.

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