Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death for her involvement in violent protests that resulted in numerous fatalities. The verdict was issued after she was found guilty of crimes against humanity, including incitement, ordering killings, and failure to prevent atrocities. The former Prime Minister, currently residing in India, was convicted in absentia.
Additionally, former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, present in court, and ex-interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who is in hiding, were also found responsible for allowing the use of lethal force against protesters and neglecting to stop violence against them.
Hasina resigned and fled to India last year following widespread demonstrations in Bangladesh, demanding accountability for the high number of deaths during the unrest. The United Nations reported a death toll of up to 1,400 people from the violence. The verdict was delivered at the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka, raising concerns of potential unrest leading up to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Security measures were intensified by the interim government before the verdict, with the deployment of soldiers, paramilitary border guards, and police in Dhaka and other parts of the country. Hasina’s political party, the Awami League, called for a nationwide protest against the sentencing.
During the court proceedings, Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder stated that Hasina had committed crimes against humanity by authorizing the use of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons. Family members of the deceased protesters reacted emotionally in court, while others expressed satisfaction with the judge’s decision.
Before receiving the death penalty, an audio message from Hasina was played in court where she expressed her resilience and commitment to serving her people. The unrest that began as a student protest in July last year escalated into a nationwide uprising, prompting a forceful response from Hasina’s government.
In a statement issued from India after her sentencing, Hasina denounced the verdict as politically motivated, criticizing the tribunal’s credibility and calling for a fair trial where evidence could be impartially evaluated.
