Bangladesh tribunal sentences 7 Awami League leaders to death
What's the story
A Bangladesh tribunal has sentenced seven senior leaders of the banned Awami League to death for crimes against humanity. The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) handed down the verdict on Tuesday, with Justice Mohammad Nazrul Islam Chowdhury presiding over the three-member panel. The accused were tried in absentia and include Awami League General Secretary and former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat.
Legal process
Accused tried to suppress protests
Others include 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.
The tribunal had framed seven charges against the accused on January 22, with the trial commencing on February 17.
Prosecutors alleged that these leaders tried to suppress protesters by issuing instructions and making provocative statements.
Political turmoil
Case linked to the protests that toppled Hasina's government
They were also accused of being involved in armed attacks, severe repression, and attempts to control media coverage during widespread violence across Bangladesh.
The case is linked to the 2024 student-led protests, known as the July Uprising, which led to the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5, 2024.
Hasina fled to India on the same day and has since been living there.
Global response
UN estimates up to 1,400 killed in protest violence
In November 2025, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by the tribunal for her role in suppressing these protests through lethal force.
The United Nations human rights office estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed in violence linked to the protests.
Hasina's death sentence has drawn international criticism.
Amnesty International said it "did not deliver justice," while Human Rights Watch raised concerns over Hasina not being represented by a lawyer of her own choosing.
Legal changes
Hasina plans to return home in December
The ICT was established under Hasina's government in 2010 to prosecute crimes against humanity from Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.
After Hasina's government fell, the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus amended tribunal laws to give it powers over political parties.
Many cases have since been filed against Awami League leaders.
Last month, Hasina announced her plans to return to Bangladesh in December despite facing imprisonment or a death sentence.