A special Bangladeshi tribunal on Sunday sentenced three police officers to death for their roles in the violent crackdown on student-led protests in 2024, which ultimately toppled the government of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The convicts include former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner Rashedul Islam, and former officer-in-charge Mashiur Rahman. They were found guilty of killing two people, including a young man shot while hanging from a building cornice during the unrest.
Verdict and Sentences
The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) handed down the death penalty in absentia, as the three officers are believed to be on the run. Chairman Mohammad Golam Mortuza Mozumder pronounced, "They will be hanged by neck until their death." The tribunal also sentenced a police sub-inspector to life imprisonment and an assistant sub-inspector to 20 years in prison. The latter two were the only accused present during the trial.
Background of the July Uprising
The student-led protests, which began in July 2024 and escalated into a violent uprising dubbed the "July Uprising," forced Sheikh Hasina to flee to India on August 5, 2024. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office three days later. According to a 2025 UN rights office report, up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, as Hasina's government ordered a sweeping security crackdown.
Legal Proceedings and Appeals
The three convicts sentenced to death may appeal the verdict before the Appellate Division of Bangladesh's Supreme Court after they surrender or are arrested. The ICT-BD was originally established in 2010 to try collaborators of Pakistani troops during the 1971 Liberation War. The Yunus-led interim government later amended the ICT-BD law to enable the prosecution of Awami League leaders and officials for crimes against humanity.
Previous Convictions
On November 17, 2025, the ICT-BD sentenced Hasina and her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in absentia for their superior responsibility in the crackdown. The same court also sentenced former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun to five years in prison after he turned state witness. Trials of several high-profile politicians are ongoing, with a verdict expected on June 30, 2026, against Hasanul Haque Inu, president of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and former information minister.
Legal Challenges
A writ petition challenging the amended ICT-BD Act is pending before the High Court, filed by senior Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Mohsen Rashid on June 24, 2026. The tribunal has previously executed six people, including a leader of the current ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party and five leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which opposed Bangladesh's independence.
