On Monday, a Bangladesh war crimes court sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for ordering a deadly crackdown on student protests in 2024, according to Reuters.
The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka announced the verdict under tight security while Hasina was not present. She has been in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024. According to the court, she was found guilty of crimes against humanity and for ordering lethal force against protesters, receiving a life sentence for the first charge and a death sentence for the second.
Building on the evidence presented during the trial, prosecutors said they found proof that Hasina directly ordered security forces to suppress the protests in July and August 2024. A United Nations report estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed and thousands more were injured during that time, making it the worst violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 independence war.
Despite the evidence brought against her, Hasina’s state-appointed lawyer argued the charges were baseless and requested her acquittal. Before the verdict, Hasina called the case a political one and claimed that the outcome was predetermined.
Following Hasina’s departure, Bangladesh has been run by an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. The situation has remained calm, but political tensions persist, as Hasina has warned that her Awami League supporters might boycott the parliamentary elections scheduled for February.
