Bangladesh’s ousted PM Hasina convicted in students crackdown case

DHAKA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A Bangladesh court convicted ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity on Monday, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.

The ruling comes months ahead of parliamentary elections expected to be held in early February. The maximum punishment under the law that governs the tribunal is the death penalty.

Hasina's Awami League party has been barred from contesting and it is feared that Monday's verdict could stoke fresh unrest ahead of the vote.

The International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh's domestic war crimes court located in the capital Dhaka, delivered the guilty verdict amid tight security and in Hasina’s absence after she fled to India in August 2024.

The verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Court.

But Hasina's son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, told Reuters on the eve of the verdict that they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government took office with the Awami League’s participation.