The verdict was delivered by Tribunal-2, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. The seven leaders were accused of murder, incitement to violence and incitement to murder in connection with the student-led movement in July and August 2024.

Who are the seven Awami League leaders sentenced to death?

Besides Obaidul Quader, those sentenced to death are Awami League Joint General Secretary Bahauddin Nasim; former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat; Jubo League President Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and its General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil; and Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.

The tribunal said the charges against the seven had been established and imposed the death penalty.

What were the allegations against them?

The cases relate to the violence during the student-led uprising against the Hasina government in July-August 2024. According to the tribunal, the seven leaders faced charges including murder, incitement to violence and incitement to murder linked to the crackdown on the movement.

The proceedings form part of a broader legal reckoning over the violence that accompanied the uprising and eventually brought Hasina’s long rule to an end.

Sheikh Hasina was also sentenced to death

The latest verdict comes after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death in 2025 after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity committed during the uprising.

The tribunal found Hasina guilty on all five charges brought against her. These included incitement, failure to prevent or punish atrocities, and ordering the use of drones, helicopters and lethal weapons against protesters.

Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were also accused alongside Hasina.

The tribunal had earlier indicted Hasina, Kamal and Mamun on five charges, including incitement and ordering the killing of protesters, superior command responsibility and joint criminal enterprise.

Hasina fled to India after fall of government

Hasina, 78, fled to India on August 5, 2024, after her government fell amid the mass student-led uprising.

The tribunal’s latest verdict against seven senior Awami League leaders comes amid continued legal proceedings over the violence surrounding the 2024 movement. The cases and verdicts have drawn international attention as Bangladesh continues to confront the political and legal fallout of the uprising.

(with ANI inputs)