A Bangladesh court sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death on Monday, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.
The court convicted Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity.
She remains in exile in New Delhi after fleeing the country in August 2024 after 15 years in power.
The country has been on edge for several days following a wave of bomb and arson attacks that took place amid protests organised by Ms Hasina’s Awami League party, which is banned from political activity.
READ MORE
Security in the capital, Dhaka, has been tightened in advance of Monday’s verdict by a special tribunal led by justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder.
Ms Hasina’s party last week called for a citywide “lockdown”, urging supporters to take to the streets in a direct challenge to the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Prosecutors have previously sought the death penalty for Ms Hasina, accusing her of directly ordering the killing of hundreds of mainly young protesters in clashes with security forces last year.
A February report from the United Nations estimated about 1,400 people were killed between July 15th and August 5th last year, the vast majority of whom were shot by Bangladesh’s security forces.
The verdict may put pressure on the Indian government to extradite Ms Hasina to Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh have an extradition treaty and Bangladesh’s interim government last year formally requested her return, although India did not respond.
The judgment from the tribunal is not final and can be challenged at the top court, the appellate division of the supreme court. That means the final legal resolution could be protracted.
Ms Hasina has denied the charges and rejected the trial as “politically motivated.”
“I categorically deny all charges brought against me,” Ms Hasina said in a emailed response to questions. “The claim that I ordered security forces to open fire on protesters is categorically untrue. At no time did I issue or authorise such an order. It didn’t happen, and the transcripts cited by the prosecution have been taken out of context and misused.”
She questioned the motives of the tribunal and said she would not return to Bangladesh to stand trial as she would not get a fair hearing.
“Returning to my home under the current circumstances would not be justice, it would be a political persecution,” she said.
Mr Yunus continues to face challenges in stabilising the country more than a year after he was appointed transitional leader. He has pledged to hold elections and a vote on constitutional reforms in February.
Ms Hasina said the decision to ban her Awami League party from the elections was unconstitutional and would disenfranchise her supporters.
“Bangladesh’s history shows that when voters are blocked from supporting their favoured party, they do not vote at all,” she said. She urged her supporters to “remain peaceful, remain patient, and continue to believe that democracy will return to our country.” – Bloomberg
