Expert Comment
Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death. But is this the end of the Awami League? – Expert comment
ACLED’s expert comment on the interim government’s crackdown on the Awami League ahead of Hasina’s trial, and the party’s continued influence despite it.
On 17 November, a special tribunal sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death, convicting her of crimes against humanity for her government’s deadly suppression of the 2024 student-led protests. Tried in absentia, Hasina remains in exile in India and has dismissed the case as a “politically motivated charade.”
ACLED South Asia Senior Analyst Pearl Pandya said:
“The trial follows a broader crackdown on her party, the Awami League, since Hasina’s ousting. Thousands of members have been arrested, and the party has been banned from engaging in political activity, shutting it out of the upcoming February elections.
“Tensions were already high ahead of the verdict. Last week, the Awami League announced a general shutdown and strike in anticipation of the verdict. During and leading up to it, unidentified assailants hurled crude bombs and engaged in arson in at least eight districts across the country, killing at least one person. The rioters are suspected to have been Awami League supporters. Among the sites targeted were some associated with the interim leader of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus.
“ACLED data suggest that despite a crackdown on Hasina’s Awami League party, it may still have the muscle to imperil Bangladesh’s fragile transition. After a lull in activity immediately after Hasina’s ouster in August 2024, the Awami League’s mobilization has gained momentum since January 2025. Since Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024, Awami League supporters have staged at least 100 demonstrations and engaged in over 45 clashes with members of rival parties, indicating its continued ability to rally supporters. With Hasina’s son warning of violent protests if the ban on the Awami League stands, holding free and fair elections in February may prove challenging.”
Visuals produced by Ana Marco.
Note to editors: For more information or to interview Pearl Pandya, please contact the ACLED press office at [email protected].
