Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced former PM Sheikh Hasina to death for alleged crimes against humanity. The court found her guilty on three counts, concluding a months-long trial that determined she ordered a violent crackdown on a student-led uprising last year, which led to the collapse of her Awami League government.
Court issue judgment against Sheikh Hasina
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Mohd Golam Mortuza Majumder, also issued its judgment against Hasina’s two aides, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, on the same charges.
The court said that the three accused collaborated to commit atrocities aimed at killing protesters across the country. However, it granted clemency to the former police chief, who “sought an apology from the tribunal and the people of the country.” Hasina and Kamal have been declared fugitives and were tried in absentia, while Mamun initially appeared in court before turning approver.
Crime against humanity
The court noted that Hasina’s government ignored the students’ demands. Instead of listening to the students, the then-prime minister dismissed the movement and made derogatory remarks about the students, calling them “Razakars,” a pejorative term in Bangladesh.
Following these comments, students, including females, reacted with anger. The court highlighted that Sheikh Hasina then ordered the “elimination of protesting students.” The judges pointed out that the prosecution’s witnesses demonstrated that the attacks on Dhaka University students came from Awami League factions, including the Chhatra League and Yuva League.
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