Bangladesh court sentences Hasina to death

A Bangladesh court on Monday afternoon found ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina guilty of committing “crimes against humanity” during the July-August uprising in 2024.

- TDG NETWORK

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Local media reported that the International Crimes Tribunal-1 has sentenced Hasina to death.

The tribunal found the former PM guilty on all five charges of crimes against humanity, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

The news outlet further said that the historic judgement concludes that Hasina and the two other accused, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had orchestrated and enabled atrocities during the July-August movement.

The Awami league leader, who is currently in exile in India was tried in absentia. The 78-year-old leader had fled to New Delhi after the fall of her regime in Dhaka.

“Accused prime minister Sheikh Hasina committed crimes against humanity by her incitement order and also failure to take preventive and punitive measures under charge 1,” the International Crimes Tribunal said as cited by AlJazeera.

“Accused Sheikh Hasina committed one count of crimes against humanity by her order to use drones, helicopters and lethal weapons under charge number 2,” the special tribunal said.

Bangladesh Television broadcast the live proceedings of Justice Golam Murtaza who heads the the country’s International Crimes Tribunal-la three-member tribunal overseeing this case, bagan reading out the verdict on Monday afternoon.

The tribulant said that Hasina “ordered to kill the protesting students” during the July-August unrest, Bangladesh News 24 reported.

The three-member bench whose two other members included Justice Md Shofiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, entered the courtroom at around 9:55 am, with proceedings beginning at noon. The ruling is being broadcast live, as per Bangladesh News 24.