673 cases against Hasina, death sentence in one; email sent to Delhi seeking passport

A total of 673 cases, including 457 on murder charges, have been filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in the July mass uprising. This is the count of the Police Headquarters. Among them, she has been sentenced to death in one case of crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising. Six more cases against her are pending at the International Crimes Tribunal.

Reuters has reported that a letter has been sent to the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi seeking a new passport and national identity card on behalf of Sheikh Hasina, who has been staying in India since the uprising. Prothom Alo has learnt from diplomatic sources that the Bangladesh High Commission has received an email in this regard. However, the source said the email did not carry Sheikh Hasina's authorisation letter.

Against this backdrop, the cases against her and the death sentence have come to the fore again.

After the fall of the Awami League government in the uprising on 5 August 2024, the then interim government reconstituted the International Crimes Tribunal. On the first day of the reconstituted tribunal's proceedings, 17 October 2024, an arrest warrant was issued against Sheikh Hasina.

The verdict in that case came on 17 November 2025. International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Sheikh Hasina and her government's home minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death for crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising. Former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who turned approver, was sentenced to five years in prison.

The full verdict in the case in which Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death was published on 13 January. Under the International Crimes Tribunal Act, there is a provision to appeal within 30 days. But Sheikh Hasina did not appeal within the stipulated time. Tribunal sources said that as the appeal period has passed, she no longer has any opportunity to appeal.

Alongside the death sentence, the tribunal ordered the confiscation in favour of the state of the property in Bangladesh belonging to Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan. It also directed compensation to be paid to the families of those killed and those injured in the July mass uprising.

To enforce the property confiscation order, the chief prosecutor's office of the tribunal wrote to the Home Ministry on 3 November. In it, the office requested that a complete list of the movable and immovable property of the two convicted persons be prepared and brought under state control.

Six more cases of crimes against humanity against Sheikh Hasina are pending. Of these, two are at the stage of recording evidence and four are at the stage of framing charges. Arrest warrants against her remain in force in all the cases.

In a case over enforced disappearances at the Rapid Action Battalion's Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) cell, Sheikh Hasina is among 17 accused. Among them are 12 current and former army officers. In a case over disappearances at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, there are 13 accused. Apart from Sheikh Hasina, the other 12 are all current and former army officers. Both cases are at the evidence stage.

In a crimes against humanity case over killings around the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in the capital on 5 May 2013, Sheikh Hasina is among 41 accused. In a case over the killing of former municipal councillor Ekramul Haque in an alleged 'gunfight' in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, on 26 May 2018, Sheikh Hasina is among 11 accused. Both cases are currently at the charge-framing stage.

Two more cases are at the charge-framing hearing stage at Tribunal-2. Among them, a case has been filed against eight people, including Sheikh Hasina, over the killing of nine youths in Kalyanpur in the capital in 2016, allegedly by staging a 'militant drama'. In a case over the killing of seven people in Patartek, Gazipur, also allegedly by staging a 'militant drama', Sheikh Hasina is among 10 accused.

Bangladesh Police has also applied to Interpol for a 'red notice' against Sheikh Hasina. In April 2025, the National Central Bureau (NCB) of police applied for the notice against 12 people, including Sheikh Hasina. However, the red notice has not been issued.

On 27 August, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told the national parliament that a formal extradition proposal has been sent to India seeking Sheikh Hasina's return. An application for a red notice to Interpol has also been made.

Mizanul Islam, a prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, told Prothom Alo that an arrest warrant against Sheikh Hasina remains in force. It will be executed if she returns to the country. At the same time, she will have to face trial in the cases pending at the tribunal.