Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh sentenced to death for crimes against humanity

Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was sentenced to death on Monday (17) after being found guilty of crimes against humanity for the violent repression of student protests last year, which led to her government’s downfall. A panel of three judges from the ICC (International Criminal Court), Bangladesh’s internal war crimes tribunal, delivered their verdict on Monday, ruling that Hasina was responsible for inciting hundreds of extrajudicial executions carried out by security forces. The tribunal, where some victims’ families were present, erupted in applause when the judges read the verdict. ‘Sheikh Hasina has committed crimes against humanity through her incitement, orders, and failure to take punitive measures,’ one of the judges stated when delivering the verdict. It was ‘crystal clear’ that she ‘incited activists from her party… and furthermore, ordered the killing and elimination of protesting students,’ the judges said. It is believed that around 1,400 protesters were killed and up to 25,000 were injured during the 2024 protests, according to the tribunal. Hasina faced five charges mainly related to inciting the murder of protesters, ordering the hanging of protesters, and ordering the use of lethal weapons, drones, and helicopters to quell the protests. She denies the charges. The former premier remains in self-imposed exile in India, where she fled last year, and did not attend the trial in Dhaka.