Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To Death For Crimes Against Humanity
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal handed over death sentence to ousted PM Sheikh Hasina in the war crimes case against her.
Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Monday was sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against humanity. The International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh's domestic war crimes court, convicted Hasina of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.
The verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Court.
During the trial, prosecutors said that they had found evidence of Hasina's direct command to use lethal force to end the students-led protests in July and August 2024.
According to a United Nations report, as many as 1,400 people were killed in the protests between July 15 and August 5, 2024, with thousands more injured, most of them by security-force gunfire, marking the worst violence Bangladesh has seen since the 1971 war of independence.
Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024, dismissed the charges against her and the fairness of the Tribunal proceedings earlier today, stressing a guilty verdict was "a foregone conclusion".
Charges Against Sheikh Hasina Explained
Count 1 accuses the defendants of murder, attempted murder, torture, and other inhumane acts. They are alleged to have abetted, incited, facilitated, been complicit in, and failed to prevent crimes carried out against civilians by law enforcement agencies and armed cadres linked to the Awami League.
Count 2 involves allegations that they ordered the use of lethal weapons, helicopters, and drones to suppress student protesters. The charges cite superior command responsibility, complicity, facilitation, and conspiracy.
Count 3 pertains to the July 16 killing of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayed. The accused allegedly issued orders and engaged in incitement, abetment, facilitation, conspiracy, and complicity in the murder.
Count 4 relates to the August 5 killing of six unarmed protesters at Chankharpul in Dhaka. The defendants are accused of orchestrating the deaths through direct orders, incitement, abetment, facilitation, complicity, and conspiracy.
Count 5 centres on the shooting of five protesters and the injury of another. It further alleges that the accused burned the five bodies and another protester alive, acting through complicity, facilitation, and instigation.
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