Bangladesh’s Fugitive Prime Minister Sentenced to Death

According to Rokna, the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal on Monday announced the final verdicts in the case of “crimes against humanity” related to the suppression of the student uprising between July and August 2024.

In this ruling, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were sentenced to death, while Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), received only five years in prison—an outcome that has sparked extensive reactions.

Sheikh Hasina, 78, remains in exile in India and has refused to return to face trial. Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal is also at large. In contrast, Al-Mamun, who is currently in custody, escaped the death penalty by accepting all charges during the proceedings and turning state witness.

According to judicial officials, Al-Mamun admitted to all charges in court and volunteered to cooperate with the prosecution. In July, ICT-1 accepted his request to testify as a state witness. In September, while delivering his testimony, he identified Sheikh Hasina and the former home minister as directly responsible for the “massacre” of protesters, and he apologized to the public and to the families of the victims.

The issuance of a five-year sentence for Al-Mamun has been met with strong objection from the families of the slain protesters. Some of them, citing his role in suppressing the demonstrations, argued that the punishment is not proportionate to his actions. Former leaders of the student movement have also expressed outrage. Mir Snigdo, one of the leaders of the 2024 student uprising and now a member of the BNP party, declared that they consider the ruling unjust and will seek an appeal.

He emphasized that at the very least, a sentence of “life imprisonment” should have been issued for Al-Mamun. According to the UN Human Rights Office, approximately 1,400 people were killed between 15 July and 15 August 2024.