‘I Don’t Care, Illegitimate Verdict’: Sheikh Hasina To News18 After Tribunal’s Death Penalty Ruling

Last Updated:November 17, 2025, 19:09 IST

In a sharply worded message sent to News18, Hasina said, “I do not care. They are illegitimate, and the verdict was delivered by an illegitimate extremist regime.

Calling the verdict "the biggest joke of 2025," Hasina, in the text-responses to News 18, alleged that the ICT has been weaponised by what she described as a "terrorist and extremist regime."(AFP)

In her first direct reaction after the Crimes Tribunal (ICT) delivered its controversial verdict on Tuesday, announcing death sentence, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told News18, through text, that the judgement holds “no value, no legitimacy, and no acceptance among the people."

In a sharply worded message sent to News18, Hasina said, “I do not care. They are illegitimate, and the verdict was delivered by an illegitimate extremist regime. The people of Bangladesh have rejected this kangaroo-court judgement. The Awami League rejects it too."

The ICT ruling, widely criticised by foreign diplomats, international observers, and rights groups and activists, comes amid what political analysts describe as the most volatile period in Bangladesh since 2007. Hasina, who left the country in August,2024 following escalating confrontation with student-protesters, remains the central figure of the opposition’s narrative.

Calling the verdict “the biggest joke of 2025," Hasina, in the text-responses to News 18, alleged that the ICT has been weaponised by what she described as a “terrorist and extremist regime." She added that Yunus’s government has “seized power through extra-constitutional means" and is now attempting to “rewrite the political history of Bangladesh" by banning the Awami League and attacking the legacy of the 1971 Liberation War.

Hasina’s message to News18 was not merely a rebuttal to the judgment, it seemed to be a declaration of intent. “Our only aim now is to restore democracy in Bangladesh and save the country," she said. “With the support of the people, we will remove this fundamentalist, radical Yunus from power. We defeated anti-1971 forces before; we will defeat them again. Inshallah. Joy Bangla," she added.

Her words signal a new phase of political confrontation across the country. As the political temperature in Dhaka rises, Hasina’s defiant tone indicates that she is preparing for a long battle, one that could reshape Bangladesh’s political landscape in the months ahead.

‘Sham trials’

Sajeeb Wazed, the son and adviser of deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Monday strongly condemned the tribunal’s ruling against his mother.

“Completely illegal, sham trials, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina not allowed to send defence lawyers," he wrote on X, criticising the proceedings.

Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader told News18 that the verdict against Sheikh Hasina was “entirely politically motivated" and delivered by “an illegal tribunal conducted by anti-liberation forces." He alleged that the tribunal’s “judges, prosecutors and lawyers are all Razakars, Al-Badr forces and their descendants who committed war crimes in 1971," insisting that the ruling was “farcical, fabricated and unacceptable."

Quader said the Awami League “totally rejects this verdict," adding that “the people of Bangladesh will throw it into the Bay of Bengal — except Yunus and his loyalists." He noted that nationwide lockdowns and shutdowns were already underway and would continue as part of the party’s protest strategy.

Accusing the interim administration of systematically targeting the Awami League, he claimed that they had even “bulldozed the historic residence from where Bangabandhu declared our war of liberation." Vowing continued resistance, Quader declared, “Until Yunus steps down, we will fight."

Hasina, in a statement, sharply rejected the death sentence handed to her by the country’s Crimes Tribunal (ICT), denouncing the verdict as the product of a “rigged tribunal" operating under an “unelected government with no democratic mandate." In a strongly worded written statement, Hasina said the ruling reflected the “brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government" who, she claimed, were determined to eliminate her politically and dismantle the Awami League.

News world ‘I Don’t Care, Illegitimate Verdict’: Sheikh Hasina To News18 After Tribunal’s Death Penalty Ruling

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