Bangladesh's Ousted Leader Receives Death Penalty
A special tribunal in Bangladesh has delivered a stunning verdict, sentencing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death on charges of crimes against humanity. The ruling comes more than a year after mass protests ended her 15-year rule and left hundreds dead.
The tribunal, operating in the capital Dhaka, issued its judgment on Monday in a case involving the violent suppression of student-led demonstrations that rocked the country during July and August of 2024. The proceedings were broadcast live across the nation, drawing intense public attention.
Multiple Sentences Handed Down
Alongside Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan also received a death sentence for his role in the crackdown. In a contrasting outcome, a former police chief involved in the case received only five years imprisonment after turning state witness against the former prime minister and pleading guilty.
Both Hasina and Khan were tried in absentia, having sought exile in India following Hasina's ouster on August 5 last year. The interim government that replaced her administration, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, had vowed to hold Hasina accountable for the violence.
Nationwide Security Measures Implemented
Authorities took extensive security precautions ahead of the verdict's announcement. Paramilitary border guards and police units were deployed throughout Dhaka and across multiple regions of the country. The Supreme Court even requested military deployment around the tribunal premises, underscoring concerns about potential violence.
The security measures followed a week of escalating tensions, with nearly 50 arson attacks and dozens of crude bomb explosions reported nationwide. Dhaka's police chief issued a dramatic "shoot-on-sight" order for anyone attempting to torch vehicles or hurl explosive devices.
Controversy and International Attention
Hasina and her Awami League party have vehemently rejected the tribunal's legitimacy, describing it as a "kangaroo court" and protesting the state's appointment of a lawyer to represent the absent former leader. The party had called for a nationwide shutdown to protest the verdict, with Hasina releasing an audio message urging supporters not to become "nervous" about the outcome.
The scale of the 2024 violence remains contested. A United Nations report from February estimated up to 1,400 fatalities, while the interim government's health adviser placed the death toll at more than 800, with approximately 14,000 injured.
The verdict arrives at a delicate political moment, with Yunus promising elections in February while simultaneously banning Hasina's party from participation. Bangladesh's political future remains uncertain as the nation grapples with the aftermath of this landmark legal decision.
