Bangladesh’s interim government has described the death sentence handed down to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a 'historic verdict'. The International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md Golam Murtuza Mojumdar, convicted Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal of crimes against humanity linked to the July uprising that toppled her government. Both have reportedly fled to India. The tribunal also sentenced former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun to five years in prison after he turned state witness. In an official statement, the interim government urged citizens to remain calm and avoid any violence or disorder in response to the emotionally charged ruling. It warned that any attempt to disrupt public order would be dealt with firmly. Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for over fifteen years, becomes the first former head of government in the country to receive a death sentence from the very tribunal her administration had established to prosecute war crimes from 1971.