DHAKA: Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday sentenced to death seven senior leaders of the banned Awami League for crimes against humanity over their alleged roles in directing, inciting or facilitating violence during the 2024 student-led protests, dubbed the July Uprising.
The three-member tribunal (ICT-2) headed by Justice Mohammad Nazrul Islam Chowdhury delivered the verdict against the seven, who were tried in absentia.
Awami League General Secretary and former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat were among those sentenced to death.
The other four were Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, its General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Bangladesh Chhatra League President Saddam Hussain and its General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.
All seven were represented by state-appointed defence lawyers as the tribunal delivered the verdict in cases stemming from the 2024 protests, around 10 months after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia.
The tribunal framed seven charges against the accused on January 22, while the trial began on February 17. The ICT-2 tried the seven over their alleged roles in directing or inciting violence during the protests, which eventually toppled Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024.
Prosecutors accused the seven of attempting to suppress the protesters by issuing instructions, making provocative and inciting statements and holding meetings where plans for violence were discussed.
They also alleged that the accused were involved in armed attacks, severe repression and attempts to control the media in different places, contributing to killings, attempted killings and widespread violence across the country.
"Each accused faced four charges in this case, and as most of the charges against them were proved beyond doubt, the tribunal delivered the death sentences. We are grateful for this verdict," chief prosecutor of the tribunal Aminul Islam told the press after Tuesday's verdict.
On the accused remaining absconding, Islam said that now that they had been convicted, authorities would take effective measures to arrest and bring them back to Bangladesh if their whereabouts were identified.
Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, and has been living in India since then.
In November 2025, the tribunal sentenced Hasina and her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in absentia for crimes against humanity over the crackdown on the student-led protests.
The tribunal found Hasina guilty under the doctrine of superior command responsibility and held that she had allowed lethal force to be used against protesters.
The UN human rights office has estimated that as many as 1,400 people were killed in violence linked to the protests between July 15 and August 5 in 2024.
The death sentence against Hasina drew international criticism, with legal experts and rights groups raising concerns over fair-trial and procedural issues.
Amnesty International criticised the verdict and said the trial and sentence did not deliver justice, while Human Rights Watch raised fair-trial concerns, including over Hasina’s lack of representation by counsel of her own choosing.
The International Crimes Tribunal was established under the Hasina government in 2010 to prosecute crimes against humanity committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after the fall of the Hasina government, subsequently amended the tribunal’s governing law, including provisions giving it powers over political parties and affiliated organisations.
Following the fall of the Hasina-led government, numerous cases have been filed nationwide against Awami League leaders, ministers, lawmakers and activists, with many yet to reach trial.
Meanwhile, Hasina declared on August 5 that she is determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" as she is undeterred by the threat of imprisonment or a death sentence.
She made the remarks during an audio-only virtual press conference in New Delhi -- her first public media interaction since fleeing to India – where attendees were unable to see the former prime minister and heard only her voice.
Dhaka has made multiple requests to India for the extradition of Hasina, while New Delhi maintains that it is reviewing those requests.