Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death on Monday after the International Crimes Tribunal found her guilty of crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising in 2024.
The verdict, delivered in her absence as she remains in exile in India, comes just months before national elections and has triggered fresh political tension across Bangladesh. Although the ruling can be appealed before the Supreme Court, the Awami League has been barred from contesting the upcoming polls, intensifying concerns about the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Sajeeb Wazed’s reaction before the verdict
Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, reacted sharply ahead of the verdict and predicted that the court would convict and possibly sentence his mother to death. Speaking to Reuters a day before the judgment, he said the outcome had been predetermined and accused the interim government of carrying out a politically motivated trial.
Wazed insisted that elections would not be allowed to go ahead without the Awami League’s participation and warned that protests could escalate into violence if the ban on the party was not lifted. He also stressed that his mother is safe in India, where she is receiving full security and being treated “like a head of state.” Although he has not issued a new statement after the verdict, his earlier remarks make it clear that he considers the trial illegitimate and unconstitutional.
Who is Saima Wazed? What’s Hasina’s daughter’s reaction?
In contrast, Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed, has not made any public statement about the verdict or her mother’s death sentence. Saima, a psychologist and former WHO Southeast Asia Regional Director, has been facing her own legal troubles, including allegations of falsifying academic credentials and misusing funds through the Shuchona Foundation. Her flat in Gulshan was seized by the Anti-Corruption Commission earlier this year, and she was placed on indefinite leave from the WHO in July 2025. Despite the political storm surrounding her family, Saima has maintained complete silence on the proceedings against her mother.
Who is Sajeeb Wazed?
Sajeeb Wazed, widely known as the architect of the Digital Bangladesh initiative, previously served as an adviser to Hasina and remains an influential figure within the Awami League. However, he is currently facing corruption and embezzlement cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, including allegations linked to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and the sale of national ID data.
Saima Wazed, meanwhile, has spent most of her career in global health before coming under scrutiny for accusations of forgery and financial misconduct. Their contrasting reactions or lack thereof to their mother’s death sentence reflect the growing complexities within the Hasina family at a time when Bangladesh’s political landscape is undergoing one of its most turbulent phases.
The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has rejected allegations of political bias and maintains that the tribunal operated transparently. Hasina, however, has described the process as a politically motivated “charade,” a sentiment echoed by her son.