'No one is above law': Muhammad Yunus welcomes death sentence for ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Monday welcomed the death penalty handed down to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal, saying the ruling underscores that “no one is above the law” and recognizes the suffering of students killed in protests last year that led to her ouster and escape to India.
Hasina was found guilty on three counts: incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities. “We have decided to inflict her with only one sentence, that is, sentence of death,” Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder announced.
In a statement posted on X, Yunus said the verdict offers “vital, if insufficient, justice to the thousands harmed in the uprising of July and August 2024, and to the families who still carry their loss.”
He added, “The conviction and sentencing affirm a fundamental principle: no one, regardless of power, is above the law.”
The statement further noted, “We stand at a moment of rebuilding democratic foundations wrecked by years of oppression. The crimes at issue—the ordering of lethal force against young people and children whose only weapons were their voices—violated both our laws and the basic bond between government and citizens.”
Statement of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) November 17, 2025
DHAKA, Today, the courts of Bangladesh have spoken with a clarity that resonates across the nation and beyond. The conviction and sentencing affirm a fundamental principle: no one, regardless of power, is above the law. This…
Yunus emphasized that the ruling “recognises their suffering and confirms that our justice system will hold perpetrators accountable,” and highlighted that Bangladesh is “rejoining global currents of accountability,” honoring those who stood for change, many of whom lost their lives.
Following the verdict, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry called for Hasina’s extradition from India under the two countries’ existing agreement, stating that sheltering convicted individuals would be “a highly unfriendly act and a disregard for justice.”
India responded cautiously, reaffirming its commitment to the “best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion, and stability,” and stating it will continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders.
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