Prosecutor Gazi Monowar Hussain Tamim said Tuesday that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina will lose the right to appeal her conviction and death sentence if she does not file within 30 days of the verdict—adding that, in that case, the sentence “will be executed once she is arrested.”
Briefing reporters at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) premises, the prosecutor outlined the appeal framework under Section 21 of the tribunal law: convicts must file appeals within 30 days of the judgment (Section 21(3)), and any appeal filed must be disposed of within 60 days (Section 21(4)). Because the ICT statute sets an explicit deadline, he said, there is no scope to condone delay—unlike some criminal matters governed by general limitation rules, where late appeals can sometimes be admitted.
Responding to questions, Monowar said that if Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan do not appeal within the statutory period, the sentences will be actionable upon arrest. He added that, at this stage, the convicts’ dealings with the ICT itself are limited to obtaining certified copies of the judgment and evidence; any further relief must be sought at the Appellate Division within the 30-day window, where they may also apply for bail while filing.
The prosecutor’s comments follow Monday’s ICT-1 ruling that sentenced Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan to death for crimes against humanity during the July uprising, and handed former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun a five-year term as an approver. Some July victims and families have expressed dissatisfaction with the five-year sentence and indicated they intend to appeal—an option also subject to the same 30-day limit.