Bangladesh Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death
Synopsis
A Bangladesh court sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes committed during protests that left about 1,400 people dead last year. The 78-year-old former leader was tried in absentia after fleeing to India in July 2024. The court convicted her of issuing orders to kill and not putting a stop to the killing and torture of student protesters. Relatives of victims say they want justice, but the sentence likely will not be carried out because India has ref used so far to agree to send her back to Bangladesh.
For a period of 15 years, Sheikh Hasina controlled Bangladesh as Prime Minister. And now the 78-year-old woman was found guilty of letting police kill people during big protests last year. About 1,400 people died when students marched in the streets asking for change. Hasina lives in India now because she had to flee after the protests forced her from power in July 2024.
Court Says She Ordered Killings
The trial was held in a special court in Bangladesh for serious crimes. Hasina did not appear because she had left the country. Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder announced that Hasina had violated the law on three counts. She had instructed people to kill protesters. And then she failed to stop those killings when she was in a position to make that decision. The judge pronounced the punishment as death. Justice-seeking people cheered upon hearing the news.
Hasina claims the entire trial was unfair. She issued a lengthy statement stating she is not afraid of confronting her accusers in a fair court. She claimed the new government is determined to eliminate her political party, named the Awami League. On top of that, she asserted that her government had carried out an exemplary task in safeguarding the human rights of the people of Bangladesh. But a large number of people do not believe in her statements. The protests began because students wanted to change the rules about government jobs. Afterwards, it has grown into something much larger as more and more people got angry with how Hasina ran the country.
Many Died During The Protests
The United Nations probed into the happenings at the protests. In a February report, they estimated that approximately 1,400 people were killed. It also cited incidents of protesters being shot from point-blank range, among other willful acts against the protesters' bodies. Police arrested people without any credible grounds and caused them grievous bodily harm.
Families of dead protesters said that they wanted Hasina to be punished severely. Ramjan Ali lost his brother when police shot him in July 2024. He said Hasina and others abused their power and must pay for it. Lucky Akther lost her husband near Dhaka in August 2024. She wants the death sentence carried out before the next election. She said only then will families find peace. But the sentence probably will not happen because Hasina is in India. Bangladesh asked India to send her back.
Country Still Divided After Her Rule
Muhammad Yunus is in charge of Bangladesh temporarily until fresh elections are conducted in February 2026. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a few years back for his outstanding contributions towards the upliftment of the poor. The new government banned Hasina's political party in May. Hasina has warned that millions of people will refuse to vote if her party cannot run candidates. Security was tight in Dhaka as the court announced the decision.
Some think the death sentence is good, while others say it's not enough. Shireen Huq works for human rights in Dhaka. She says Hasina and her party never said sorry for killing hundreds of people. That makes it tough for people to take them back into politics. Some protesters lost arms and legs when police attacked them. They will never forgive what happened. The United Nations said the verdict matters to victims, but they do not support death sentences ever. Hasina can appeal against the punishment, but even her lawyers say it is hard because she is not present in Bangladesh.
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