Dhaka – A special court in Dhaka has sentenced former lawmaker Mahbubul Alam Hanif, also a senior leader of the Awami League party, to death in a case related to the brutal handling of the 2024 mass upsurge that toppled the then Awami League government.
He was convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, in a crimes against humanity case filed over the deaths of six protesters in his constituency in the western district of Kushtia during the uprising.
Three other accused, also local leaders of the Awami League, were sentenced to life in prison in the case. The verdict was pronounced in absentia.
The party's activities were banned by an interim administration installed soon after the Awami League was ousted from power on August 5, 2024.
The accused sentenced to life imprisonment are Kushtia District Awami League President Sadar Uddin Khan, General Secretary Azgar Ali, and City Awami League General Secretary Ataur Rahman Ata.
The verdict ordered the confiscation of half of the accused's properties, according to the prosecution lawyers.
The tribunal directed that these properties be provided as compensation to those killed and injured in the July 2024 protest through the July Memorial Foundation or any other statutory body.
As all four accused were fugitives at the time of the verdict, the court issued arrest warrants against them.
According to prosecution information, after the testimony of 19 witnesses, arguments against the four accused, including Hanif, concluded on June 10. Later, when the state submitted new information and evidence, both sides presented their arguments again.
On October 5, 2025, the prosecution formally charged the four accused, which the tribunal took into cognizance. Later, on November 2, the tribunal framed the charges against the accused and ordered the trial to begin. Three specific charges were brought against them in the formal charge.
According to the case complaint, on August 5, 2024, students and the public were shot at in various places in Kushtia town. Laborer Ashraful Islam and Suraj Ali Babu, students Abdullah Al Mustakim and Usama, businessman Bablu Farazi, and office worker Yusuf Sheikh were killed. Many others were injured in the incident. Following these incidents, a case was filed against the four accused before the tribunal.
