Bangladesh court hands death penalty to former Hasina minister over 2024 protests

A judicial tribunal in Bangladesh has handed a death sentence in absentia to a prominent former cabinet member and sentenced three fellow party officials to life imprisonment over fatalities that occurred during the 2024 mass demonstrations.

The four individuals, all affiliated with the Awami League party of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, were found guilty of murdering six people in the western district of Kushtia during the widespread unrest that eventually brought down the administration.

Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif, who held the position of joint general secretary within the Awami League and previously served in Hasina's cabinet, received the capital sentence from the three-judge panel.

Chief prosecutor Md Aminul Islam told journalists that the accusations brought against the defendants had been proven beyond doubt. Alongside the prison and death terms, the court instructed authorities to seize half of the convicts' real estate assets, with the proceeds designated as financial restitution for the families of victims who lost their lives or sustained injuries throughout the demonstrations.

A court-appointed lawyer representing the defence, Md Amir Hossain, rejected the ruling, describing the decision as unacceptable.

United Nations figures indicate that as many as 1,400 people lost their lives in July and August 2024 as state authorities attempted to quell the student-led movement. Hasina's fifteen-year tenure ended in August of that year when she escaped the country by helicopter to India, where she has continued to reside. A tribunal later issued an in-absentia death sentence by hanging against Hasina in November 2025.

The latest rulings increase the count of individuals convicted over actions tied to the 2024 uprising to 72. Among those convicted, 23 have been condemned to death, though only four remain detained by law enforcement.

Hasina has continually dismissed the jurisdiction and legitimacy of the judicial body handling the trials. The current administration under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which secured power in a landslide parliamentary vote earlier this year, has formally sought her return from India. Hasina, now 78, has stated that she intends to travel back to Bangladesh voluntarily in December, notwithstanding the active capital sentence awaiting her.