Bangladesh court sentences Awami League leader to death, 3 to life terms
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Dhaka: Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif to death for crimes against humanity linked to the July 2024 mass uprising, while three other party leaders have been handed life imprisonment.
The three-member bench, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, also sentenced Sadar Uddin Khan, Azgar Ali and Ataur Rahman Ata to life imprisonment with hard labour. All four accused remain absconding, according to local media reports.
The ruling comes amid a series of cases against senior figures of the Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Last month, the tribunal sentenced party General Secretary Obaidul Quader and six other senior leaders to death in connection with the uprising.
The Awami League has rejected the verdicts, accusing the tribunal of political bias and using the judicial process to target opponents. The party has also questioned the fairness of trials conducted in the absence of the accused, arguing that basic legal safeguards, including the right to select a lawyer, were not ensured.
It further alleged that proceedings had been rushed and violated international human rights and criminal law standards. The party maintains that the tribunal’s actions since August 5, 2024, amount to politically motivated persecution rather than the pursuit of justice.
With IANS inputs