Bangladesh hands death sentences to 7 aides of ousted Prime Minister Hasina

The Bangladesh government has sentenced seven former allies of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia. The seven individuals, all members of Hasina's Awami League party, were convicted of crimes against humanity, including murder, during the 2024 uprising. The three-member court, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, handed down the death sentences for their alleged role in instigating and provoking the killings.

According to the prosecutor, a total of 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 when Hasina's government sought to quell the student-led uprising. Hasina herself fled to India in August 2024, where she remains in hiding. She was previously sentenced to death by hanging in absentia in November 2025.

The five remaining defendants, whose names include AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, are also accused of complicity in the killings. The court has ordered that half the assets of five of the men be used for compensation to the families of those killed or injured during the uprising.

In total, 68 individuals have been convicted in trials related to the 2024 protests, with 22 receiving death sentences. However, only four are currently in custody. Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, has refused to acknowledge the court's authority. The current government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has requested her extradition, but she has stated she will return to Bangladesh voluntarily in December, despite the death sentence she faces.