The Awami League in Dhaka has dismissed the International Crimes Tribunal’s death sentences for seven senior party leaders, calling the ruling “one‑sided, biased and fabricated.” The tribunal, which met on Tuesday, sentenced General Secretary Obaidul Quader and six other Awami League officials to death for crimes against humanity linked to the July 2024 mass uprising, according to local media reports.
The party argues that the verdict was issued in absentia and that the accused were denied fundamental legal protections, including the right to choose counsel. It says the tribunal’s rapid proceedings violated international human rights and criminal law standards, creating a “culture of impunity and political vengeance” rather than upholding the rule of law.
The Awami League also criticized the former interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, alleging that it amended the International Crimes Tribunal Act of 1973 through ordinance, transforming the legal process into a “judicial killing scheme” targeting Awami League leaders. The party claims that the prosecution panels were staffed by members of Jamaat‑e‑Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and that the cases against Awami League figures were based on falsehood.
Expressing concern that the death sentences could fuel ongoing violence, the party warned that the government’s actions have already led to mass killings, arbitrary detentions, and looting of activists’ homes. It also noted that hundreds of militants, including Al‑Qaeda affiliates, have been granted bail, arguing that the tribunal’s actions have made Bangladesh a “dangerous place on earth.”
