Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal chief prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said Nov. 10 that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would face execution if she returned from India, citing her missed appeal deadline.
Bangladesh’s tribunal law gives a convicted person 30 days to appeal to the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division. His statement about execution goes beyond what the appeal rule itself establishes.
The tribunal imposed the death sentence in Hasina’s absence on Nov. 17, 2025, after convicting her of crimes against humanity tied to her government’s crackdown on student-led protests. Hasina denies wrongdoing and disputes the trial’s legitimacy. The United Nations estimates that up to 1,400 people died during the 2024 unrest that forced her from office.
Human Rights Watch has called for accountability for abuses during the crackdown while raising concerns about the fairness of Hasina’s trial and the death penalty.
Hasina has reaffirmed her plan to return in December 2026, without giving an arrival date. The Daily New Nation reported that lawyers requested travel documents on Hasina’s behalf; the Bangladesh High Commission said it could not verify her authorization and did not treat the email as a formal application.
Islam said Bangladesh could not issue Hasina a passport under existing law and that her return should proceed through its extradition treaty with India, the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported. Bangladesh has requested her extradition; India says the request is under legal review.
