A Bangladesh court is set to deliver its verdict on November 13 in the high-profile crimes against humanity case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been tried in absentia. The trial, which concluded on Thursday, October 23, 2025, accused Hasina of orchestrating a deadly crackdown during a student-led uprising in July and August 2024, resulting in the deaths of up to 1,400 people, according to the United Nations. Hasina, 78, has defied court orders to return from India to face charges, including failure to prevent murder, which prosecutors argue constitute crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law. The prosecution has demanded the death penalty if she is found guilty. Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman emphasized that Hasina’s refusal to return to Bangladesh undermines her claims of innocence, stating, ‘If she believed in the justice system, she should have returned.’ The trial, which began on June 1, 2025, included months of testimony and evidence, including audio tapes allegedly showing Hasina ordering security forces to use lethal force against protesters. Hasina, represented by a state-appointed lawyer, has refused to recognize the court’s authority, while her defense claims she was forced to flee the country. Her now-banned political party, the Awami League, has denounced the trial as a ‘show trial’ and maintains her innocence. The verdict comes ahead of Bangladesh’s first elections since Hasina’s overthrow, scheduled for early February 2026.