In a landmark ruling on Monday, a Bangladesh court sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s turbulent political landscape. The verdict, delivered by Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder in Dhaka, found Hasina guilty on three counts, including incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities during a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising that led to her ousting in August 2024. The court also sentenced former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, a fugitive, to death on four counts of similar crimes. Former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who pleaded guilty, received a five-year prison term. The trial, conducted in absentia, detailed how Hasina allegedly ordered mass killings, with the United Nations estimating up to 1,400 deaths during the crackdown. Hasina, 78, has dismissed the trial as a ‘jurisprudential joke’ and refused to recognize the court’s authority. The verdict, broadcast live on national television, has intensified political tensions ahead of elections scheduled for February 2026. Security forces were on high alert in Dhaka, with armoured vehicles deployed across the city following recent bombings targeting government-linked buildings and religious sites. Hasina remains defiant, warning that the interim government’s ban on her Awami League party is exacerbating the political crisis in the country of 170 million people.