Ex-Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death over brutal protests crackdown|BBC

Bangladesh’s former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity connected to her handling of last year’s student-led protests, which ultimately led to her removal from office.

The court found Hasina responsible for authorizing lethal measures against demonstrators, a crackdown that left approximately 1,400 people dead.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh conducted the trial in her absence, as Hasina has been living in exile in India since being forced from power in July 2024.

Prosecutors argued that she orchestrated hundreds of killings during the protests, and families of victims demanded stringent punishment. Hasina has rejected all allegations, describing the proceedings as “politically motivated” and biased.

The tribunal, lasting several months in Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court, had widely been expected to deliver a guilty verdict.

The ruling represents a significant moment for Bangladesh, offering recognition to widespread protests fueled by frustration over years of repression under Hasina’s government.

During her 15-year tenure, Hasina oversaw notable economic growth but faced criticism for suppressing dissent, including politically driven arrests, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.

The protests eventually forced her into exile, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus appointed to lead an interim administration.

In a five-page statement responding to Monday’s verdict, Hasina condemned the death sentence as an attempt by the interim government to weaken her party, the Awami League, while asserting pride in her administration’s human rights record.