Journalism of Courage
Sheikh Hasina, the ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was awarded death sentence by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) after it found her guilty of crimes against humanity. Following the ruling, Hasina said that she was “given no fair to defend” herself in court, reported Reuters.
The ruling caps a months-long trial that concluded she had ordered a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. Her conviction came alongside her ex–interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former police chief, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, reported BBC.
Al-Mamun was the only defendant present in court on Monday. He had pleaded guilty in July for his role in last year’s unrest and testified as a state witness.
Security was tightened across Dhaka ahead of the judgement after several crude bombs went off in the capital on Sunday, Reuters reported. Police said no casualties were recorded, but the explosions deepened tensions in a city already subdued by days of unrest.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police issued shoot-at-sight orders against anyone involved in arson, blasts or attempts to harm police or civilians. Army units, Border Guard Bangladesh personnel and riot police were deployed, while the now-disbanded Awami League announced a two-day shutdown.
Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, warned that if the ban on the Awami League is not lifted, supporters would move to block the national election scheduled for February. He said protests could intensify, speaking ahead of the televised verdict expected to convict the 78-year-old leader.
Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 and has since been living in exile in New Delhi.
Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, first became prominent in the 1980s as a pro-democracy figure who challenged military rule. She first took office in 1996.
Her second spell in power, beginning in 2009, was marked by allegations of extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances and curbs on dissent, a dramatic shift from her earlier image as a defender of multi-party democracy, BBC reported.
Hasina has described the deaths during last year’s anti-government protests as “tragic” but has denied ordering security forces to fire on demonstrators before she left the country.
Her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding leader, was assassinated in 1975 along with most of their family. Only Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana survived as they were abroad at the time.
Known for her political resilience, Hasina has previously endured arrests and numerous attempts on her life. She has survived at least 19 assassination attempts since 1981, AP reported.
