The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has sentenced seven high-profile leaders of the banned Awami League and its affiliate organizations, including former General Secretary Obaidul Quader, to death for crimes against humanity committed during the July Mass Uprising.

The tribunal also ordered the confiscation of 50 percent of all movable and immovable assets belonging to five of the convicts, directing that proceeds from their liquidation be distributed to the victims and families of those killed and injured during the uprising.

A three-member judicial panel chaired by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury of ICT-2 delivered the verdict at 12:15 PM on Tuesday (September 15). The panel included Judge Md. Manjurul Basid and Judge Noor Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.

Alongside Obaidul Quader, the six other leaders handed the death penalty are Awami League Joint General Secretary A.F.M. Bahauddin Nasim, former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, Jubo League President Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain, and Chhatra League General Secretary Wali Asif Inan.

The tribunal detailed individual sentencing breakdowns across four distinct charges:

• Obaidul Quader: Sentenced to death under Charges 1, 3, and 4, and awarded imprisonment until death under Charge 2.

• A.F.M. Bahauddin Nasim: Sentenced to death under combined Charges 3 and 4, and awarded imprisonment until death under Charge 1. Acquitted of Charge 2.

• Mohammad Ali Arafat: Sentenced to death under combined Charges 1 and 4, and awarded imprisonment until death under Charge 2. Acquitted of Charge 3.

• Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash: Sentenced to death under Charges 3 and 4, and awarded imprisonment until death under Charge 2. Acquitted of Charge 1.

• Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil: Sentenced to death under separate counts for Charges 2, 3, and 4, and awarded imprisonment until death under Charge 1.

• Saddam Hossain: Sentenced to death under combined Charges 3 and 4, and awarded separate sentences of imprisonment until death under Charges 1 and 2.

• Wali Asif Inan: Sentenced to death under combined Charges 3 and 4, and awarded separate sentences of imprisonment until death under Charges 1 and 2.

Additionally, the tribunal ordered the forfeiture of 50 percent of all property held by Obaidul Quader, Nasim, Arafat, Parash, and Nikhil. The court directed that funds generated from the asset seizure be disbursed to victims of the July-August 2024 uprising via the July Foundation or a statutory compensation framework.

Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam led the prosecution team alongside Prosecutors Gazi M.H. Tamim, Farooq Ahammed, Abdus Sobhan Tarafder, Jahirul Amin, and Moinul Karim.

Prosecution charges established that the defendants coordinated directives, incitements, and provocative rhetoric to suppress the student-led movement. The bench found that the accused held strategic planning meetings, mobilized armed cadres, orchestrated violent crackdowns, and restricted media coverage, directly resulting in nationwide killings, attempted murders, and widespread atrocities.