Hanif Sentenced to Death for Crimes Against Humanity

An International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-2) on Thursday sentenced Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Joint General Secretary of the banned Awami League, to death for crimes against humanity linked to the killings of six individuals in Kushtia during the July Uprising. A three-member judicial panel led by Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, alongside Justice Md. Manjurul Basid and Justice Noor Mohammad Shahriar Kabir, delivered the judgment at 12:00 PM. In the same verdict, three other high-profile local party leaders, Kushtia District Awami League President Sadar Uddin Khan, General Secretary Azgar Ali, and Kushtia City Awami League General Secretary Ataur Rahman Ata, were sentenced to imprisonment until death. All four convicts remain absconding.

Reading out a summary of the verdict before pronouncing the sentences, Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury detailed the court’s findings on the atrocities committed during the student-led movement. The tribunal noted that the accused systematically orchestrated, incited, and carried out acts of violence to suppress peaceful demonstrations. Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam, who was present alongside prosecutors Mizanul Islam, Gazi MH Tamim, Farooq Ahammad, Sahidul Islam Sardar, and Zahirul Amin, highlighted the gravity of the offenses during the proceedings. State defense lawyer Amir Hossain represented the absconding accused throughout the legal process.

The verdict follows an extensive judicial process that saw formal charges framed on November 2, 2025, after being taken into cognizance on October 6 of that year. The prosecution presented three specific charges against the accused, backed by testimony from 19 prosecution witnesses before the cross-examination of the investigating officer concluded on April 23. Although the case was initially kept awaiting a verdict following arguments on June 10, the tribunal held fresh arguments after the prosecution submitted additional evidence. The court officially reserved the case for verdict on October 7 after hearing final arguments and counter-arguments, eventually scheduling today for the judgment announcement.

The first two charges centered on Hanif’s nationwide incitement and strategic commands to crush protests with lethal force. According to the prosecution, Mr. Hanif endorsed plans to deploy drones and launch fire from helicopters against demonstrators, while labeling student protesters as Jamaat, terrorists, and communal during a National Press Club event to justify violent crackdowns. Furthermore, the second charge highlighted a July 27 meeting led by Mr. Hanif at the Kushtia District Awami League office, where he, alongside Sadar Uddin, Azgar, and Ata, characterized the peaceful movement as terrorist activities and explicitly ordered party loyalists to use maximum force to suppress demonstrators in Kushtia town.

The third charge detailed the murder of six individuals in Kushtia town on August 5, 2024, during the March to Dhaka program demanding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. Acting on Mr. Hanif’s directives, Awami League cadres and police forces fired upon thousands of peaceful demonstrators, killing laborer Ashraful Islam, Suruj Ali Babu, students Abdullah Al Mustakin and Usama, businessman Bablu Farazi, and service holder Yusuf Sheikh between 1:30 PM and 4:00 PM. The tribunal concluded that Hanif, Sadar Uddin, Azgar, and Ata directly ordered, incited, and aided these acts of murder, attempted murder, and severe torture, establishing their full criminal liability for crimes against humanity.