Bangladesh’s High Court tribunal handed down a death sentence to Awami League joint general secretary Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif on Thursday, accusing him of ordering six killings in western Kushtia amid the July‑August 2024 uprising. The verdict came after a three‑member panel found the charges proven, with Hanif’s history as a minister under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted in the judgment.
The court also sentenced three other Awami League leaders to life imprisonment for their roles in the unrest, bringing the total number of convicted uprising offenders to 72, of which 23 are facing death sentences.
The tribunal ordered that half of Hanif’s immovable properties be seized and redistributed as compensation to families of the victims, a move the court described as a step toward justice for the 1,400 people killed during the crackdown that toppled Hasina’s 15‑year rule.
Speaking at the hearing, chief prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said the evidence against the convicts was incontrovertible, while state‑appointed defence lawyer Md Amir Hossain branded the verdict "unacceptable".
Hasina, who fled to neighbouring India by helicopter in August 2024 after the uprising, has already received a death sentence in absentia in November 2025 and has said she intends to return to Bangladesh in December despite the looming execution.
The ruling government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has now requested Hasina’s extradition, and the court’s latest decision may prompt further legal moves and international scrutiny of Bangladesh’s handling of the uprising aftermath.