Bangladesh's Awami League has categorically rejected death sentences handed down to seven senior party leaders and activists by the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), calling the ruling 'one-sided, biased and fabricated.' The sentences, pronounced on Tuesday, 16 September 2026, targeted figures including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and six other senior leaders of the party and its affiliated organisations, convicted for alleged 'crimes against humanity' linked to the July 2024 mass uprising, according to local media reports.

The Tribunal's Ruling

The ICT sentenced the seven individuals — none of whom was physically present before the tribunal — for offences purportedly connected to the violence surrounding Bangladesh's July–August 2024 demonstrations. The Awami League alleged that the verdicts were rendered without affording the accused the minimum legal protections guaranteed under international criminal law, including the right to choose their own legal counsel.

'A fundamental standard of international criminal law is that even in trials conducted in absentia, minimum legal protections — including the right of the accused to choose counsel of their own liking — must be guaranteed. However, these guarantees have been completely ignored in the present tribunal,' the party stated.

Awami League's Rejection and Allegations

The party described the entire judicial process as having been 'rushed through' with 'utter disregard' for universally recognised principles of international human rights law and international criminal law. It went further, alleging that all ICT activities since 5 August 2024 constitute a gross violation of international law and human rights.

Awami League accused the former interim government led by Muhammad Yunus of amending the International Crimes Tribunal Act of 1973 through ordinance — in alleged violation of constitutional processes — transforming, it claimed, the legal proceedings into what it termed a 'judicial killing scheme' directed at the party's leadership.

'To exact political vengeance, the illegal government of Mohammad Yunus constituted the prosecution and judicial panels comprising office-bearers and active cadres of Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), filing a succession of false and illegal cases against leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Awami League based entirely on falsehood,' the party said.

Concerns Over Rule of Law and Security

Expressing grave concern over what it described as a two-year cycle of political violence, Awami League warned that the death sentences would further fuel mass killings that have already, according to the party's account, claimed hundreds of lives, while exacerbating arbitrary detentions it says have seen tens of thousands imprisoned.

The party also alleged that Islamist extremists have been emboldened by the tribunal's conduct, pointing to reports that hundreds of convicted militants in Bangladesh — including those allegedly affiliated with Al Qaeda — had been granted bail. Critics argue these developments have significantly degraded security conditions in the country.

What the Awami League Said About Democratic Norms

'This latest sham verdict is another blow to the country's democracy, a glaring reminder for citizens and victims of July–August violence that their right to pursue justice has been completely taken away,' the party said in its statement. It further alleged that residences and businesses belonging to tens of thousands of party activists had been 'looted and vandalised with total impunity.'

Notably, this is not the first time the ICT's post-August 2024 proceedings have drawn criticism from international legal observers who have raised questions about due process. The tribunal, originally established to try war crimes from Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War, has faced recurring scrutiny over its procedures across successive governments.

What Comes Next

The condemned leaders remain outside Bangladesh, and it is unclear whether any extradition proceedings are anticipated. The Awami League has indicated it will continue to contest the tribunal's legitimacy on international platforms. How Bangladesh's current political establishment responds — and whether international human rights bodies formally weigh in — will determine the next phase of this deepening legal and political crisis.