Bangladesh tribunal hands death penalty to ex-Dhaka police chief, two senior officers

A Bangladesh tribunal has sentenced former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman and two senior police officers Sudip Kumar Chakraborty and Mohammad Akhtarul Islam to death for their alleged role in the violent street protests that led to the ouster of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024.

The verdict was delivered by a three-judge panel of the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) , the same tribunal that earlier handed a death sentence to Sheikh Hasina in absentia for her alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the 2024 protests.

The three senior officers, along with Assistant Police Commissioner Mohammad Imrul, were tried in absentia after being declared fugitives by the tribunal. Others involved in the case, including Inspector Arshad Hossain and three constables, received prison terms ranging from three to six years.

The tribunal found the accused guilty of the August 5, 2024, Chankharpul incident , in which six people were killed by police gunfire on the day Hasina’s government was toppled. Citing “ superior command responsibility ,” the court held the senior officers accountable for the actions of their subordinates.

ICT-BD chief prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam expressed dissatisfaction over the relatively lighter sentences for lower-ranking officials and indicated that the prosecution would file an appeal .

Sheikh Hasina, 78, has been living in India’s capital, New Delhi, since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following widespread protests against her government.