In brief
In a shocking turn of events, prosecutors in Bangladesh have formally requested the death penalty for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid ongoing trials for crimes against humanity. Hasina, accused of commanding lethal force against protesters during a series of unrest, fled to India following her removal from power last year. Estimates suggest that around 1,400 individuals were killed during the violence. The case has drawn global attention as the next elections approach, potentially shaping Bangladesh's political future.
Prosecutors in Bangladesh have demanded that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina be put to death over a deadly crackdown on student-led protests last year that ousted her from power. Hasina, who has fled to India, is on trial for crimes against humanity. According to a leaked audio clip, she ordered security forces to use lethal weapons against protesters. She denies the charges. Up to 1,400 people were killed in weeks of unrest that ended Hasina's 15-year rule, marking the worst violence Bangladesh has seen since its 1971 war of independence. Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam stated that Hasina deserves 1,400 death sentences but, citing practicality, asked for at least one. Islam further emphasized that Hasina's goal was to perpetuate her family's power without remorse for the violence she orchestrated. The protests erupted in July 2024 against civil service job quotas for relatives of those who fought in the 1971 war but quickly evolved into a mass movement calling for Hasina’s resignation. Notably bloody events occurred on August 5, 2024, when police killed at least 52 protesters on the day Hasina fled by helicopter as crowds advanced on her residence in Dhaka. Hasina’s state-appointed defense lawyer argues that police actions were a response to aggressive protests. She is facing trial alongside her former interior minister and the former police chief, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty for them too. In addition to these charges, Hasina has a prior six-month prison sentence for contempt of court and faces corruption allegations. As Bangladesh approaches its next elections in February 2025, her party, the Awami League, has been banned from all activities, leaving her rivals, the BNP, poised to dominate the electoral landscape.
