Bangladesh tribunal sentences former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia

Dhaka: A special tribunal in Bangladesh on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia for what it described as crimes against humanity committed during the widespread protests against her government last July. The 78-year-old former leader has been living in India since her government was toppled on 5 August last year, as per agency report.

The International Crimes Tribunal–Bangladesh (ICT-BD) delivered the verdict after having earlier declared Hasina a fugitive. Reading out the judgment in a highly secured courtroom in Dhaka, the tribunal stated that the prosecution had proved beyond doubt that she was responsible for the deadly crackdown on student-led protests between 15 July and 15 August of the previous year.

A report by the United Nations human rights office has estimated that around 1,400 people were killed during the nearly month-long movement, widely referred to as the July uprising. The tribunal held Hasina guilty of ordering the use of lethal force against unarmed demonstrators, issuing provocative statements and allowing operations that led to the killing of several students in Dhaka and nearby areas.

The judgment marks a dramatic turn in Bangladesh’s political landscape, with the former prime minister facing the country’s most severe punishment while remaining outside its borders.