Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been found guilty and sentenced to death in absentia for her alleged role in the deadly crackdown on student-led protests last year, which left over 1,400 people dead. The conviction was handed down by a three-judge bench of Bangladesh's international crimes tribunal.
The court's verdict found Hasina guilty of incitement, orders to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities, with judges stating that she had "committed crimes against humanity" by giving instructions for the use of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians. The prosecution presented audio recordings of calls made by Hasina to link her directly to the deadly street operations.
Hasina's absence from the courtroom was notable, as family members of victims who were killed during the protests broke down in tears upon hearing the verdict. In a statement released after the ruling, Hasina claimed she had not been given a fair chance to defend herself and maintained that she had acted in good faith to bring disorder under control.
The United Nations human rights office described the sentencing as an "important moment for victims" but also expressed regret at the imposition of the death penalty, which they oppose in all circumstances. The office called on individuals in positions of command to be held accountable according to international standards.
The verdict is a significant blow to Hasina's former government and has sparked widespread celebrations across Bangladesh among those who lost loved ones during the protests. For families of victims, the sentence brought relief and catharsis, with one father saying his son's death would serve as an example to future rulers.
As the country prepares for its first election since the fall of Hasina, her former ruling party has vowed to cause mass unrest in response to the conviction. The Awami League party has been banned from participating, but most of its leaders are either behind bars or living in hiding abroad.
The verdict marks a major milestone in Bangladesh's efforts to hold its leaders accountable for human rights abuses during Hasina's 15-year rule, which was marred by allegations of corruption, torture, and enforced disappearances.
The court's verdict found Hasina guilty of incitement, orders to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities, with judges stating that she had "committed crimes against humanity" by giving instructions for the use of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians. The prosecution presented audio recordings of calls made by Hasina to link her directly to the deadly street operations.
Hasina's absence from the courtroom was notable, as family members of victims who were killed during the protests broke down in tears upon hearing the verdict. In a statement released after the ruling, Hasina claimed she had not been given a fair chance to defend herself and maintained that she had acted in good faith to bring disorder under control.
The United Nations human rights office described the sentencing as an "important moment for victims" but also expressed regret at the imposition of the death penalty, which they oppose in all circumstances. The office called on individuals in positions of command to be held accountable according to international standards.
The verdict is a significant blow to Hasina's former government and has sparked widespread celebrations across Bangladesh among those who lost loved ones during the protests. For families of victims, the sentence brought relief and catharsis, with one father saying his son's death would serve as an example to future rulers.
As the country prepares for its first election since the fall of Hasina, her former ruling party has vowed to cause mass unrest in response to the conviction. The Awami League party has been banned from participating, but most of its leaders are either behind bars or living in hiding abroad.
The verdict marks a major milestone in Bangladesh's efforts to hold its leaders accountable for human rights abuses during Hasina's 15-year rule, which was marred by allegations of corruption, torture, and enforced disappearances.
...i feel bad for the victims families who are still grieving 
...i dont know what to think about sheikh hasina though, it sounds like a really tough situation for her too 
...the united nations just expressed their regret over the death penalty tho, which is fair, right? 
...i think its kinda cool that bangladesh is trying to hold its leaders accountable for human rights abuses, thats a big step forward in a way 
...anyway, its all super complicated and messy right now 
... I mean, 1,400 people dead? That's just devastating 
. And for it to happen under Hasina's watch? Unbelievable. The audio recordings of her calls linking her directly to the deadly street ops are chilling 
. But, honestly, this whole situation feels like a classic case of "better late than never" 
. I mean, 15 years is way too long to go without accountability... it's about time justice was served! 
. I gotta say, this whole thing is really sad for me 
.
I feel bad for Sheikh Hasina, she's been in power for a long time and you'd think she'd have more connections to fix her situation. But at the same time, 1400 people dead is a huge number and it's hard to deny that something was seriously wrong. 
its always gonna spark controversy but like what can you do when ppl are dead tho? My heart goes out to those families still grieving and I cant even imagine being in their shoes 
I'm so heartbroken about this news 
. It's like the system failed her, you know? She was already in absentia, which means she couldn't even defend herself. It's like they're trying to silence her without giving her a chance to explain herself 
.
. I mean, we all know it's not an ideal punishment, but at least it's something. It's like the country is trying to move forward without holding its leaders accountable for their actions 
.
seriously though, how did the court even come to this conclusion? I mean, wasn't there some kind of loophole in the laws that says you can sentence someone to death without them being present? 
and what about those audio recordings? Are we supposed to just take them at face value? Can't we see how they're being manipulated? 
sentencing of Sheikh Hasina. I mean, she's been found guilty of incitement, orders to kill... it's just devastating to think that 1,400 people lost their lives in those student-led protests 
. I'm curious to see how this verdict will play out in terms of the upcoming election - fingers crossed for peace and justice! 
what a travesty. i feel bad for her family but also kinda glad justice was served to the victims' families it's gonna be interesting to see how this affects bangladesh's politics rn, esp with their first election comin up soon 
. we need to keep pushing for change and making sure our leaders are held to the same standards as everyone else 
. this verdict is a major step forward, but there's still so much work to be done 
.
The whole world would be all over it in 2 sec! 
. I mean, come on, 1400 people dead in protests is already crazy, but to take it this far? 
, it could get ugly 
... i mean, shouldn't everyone have a chance to defend themselves, even if they're not physically present? 
... it's a big deal that this conviction marks a major milestone in Bangladesh holding its leaders accountable for human rights abuses 