Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been handed down a death sentence by an international crimes tribunal for her alleged role in the July and August crackdown on student-led protests that left hundreds dead. The three-judge bench found her guilty of inciting violence, ordering the use of lethal force against civilians, and failing to prevent atrocities.
In a dramatic reading of the verdict, Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder stated that Hasina had committed crimes against humanity by using drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians. The sentence marks the culmination of months-long tribunal proceedings against Hasina in absentia, as she has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh last year.
The ruling comes amid heightened security across Dhaka ahead of the verdict, with police, army, and paramilitaries cordoning off the tribunal area and issuing a "shoot-on-sight" order for anyone caught launching explosives or setting fire to vehicles. The atmosphere was tense as protesters gathered outside the court building, with some carrying pictures of loved ones who died in the crackdown.
Hasina had pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming that the tribunal was a "politically motivated charade." However, prosecutors presented audio recordings of calls made by Hasina to directly link instructions from her office to the deadly street operations. The prosecution described her as "the mastermind, conductor and superior commander" of the atrocities.
The verdict has brought relief to families of those killed in the uprising, with Golam Rahman, whose son was among the victims, stating that the death sentence was an "acceptable verdict for what was done to my child." Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed also spoke out, saying his mother would remain "safe" but vowed to fight back against her opponents.
The ruling marks a significant development in Bangladesh's ongoing struggle for democracy and accountability. As the country prepares for its first election since Hasina's ouster, opposition parties have vowed to cause mass unrest in response to the verdict. With the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus claiming that the tribunal functioned transparently, human rights groups remain divided over the fairness of the trial process.
In a dramatic reading of the verdict, Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder stated that Hasina had committed crimes against humanity by using drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians. The sentence marks the culmination of months-long tribunal proceedings against Hasina in absentia, as she has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh last year.
The ruling comes amid heightened security across Dhaka ahead of the verdict, with police, army, and paramilitaries cordoning off the tribunal area and issuing a "shoot-on-sight" order for anyone caught launching explosives or setting fire to vehicles. The atmosphere was tense as protesters gathered outside the court building, with some carrying pictures of loved ones who died in the crackdown.
Hasina had pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming that the tribunal was a "politically motivated charade." However, prosecutors presented audio recordings of calls made by Hasina to directly link instructions from her office to the deadly street operations. The prosecution described her as "the mastermind, conductor and superior commander" of the atrocities.
The verdict has brought relief to families of those killed in the uprising, with Golam Rahman, whose son was among the victims, stating that the death sentence was an "acceptable verdict for what was done to my child." Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed also spoke out, saying his mother would remain "safe" but vowed to fight back against her opponents.
The ruling marks a significant development in Bangladesh's ongoing struggle for democracy and accountability. As the country prepares for its first election since Hasina's ouster, opposition parties have vowed to cause mass unrest in response to the verdict. With the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus claiming that the tribunal functioned transparently, human rights groups remain divided over the fairness of the trial process.
i mean i guess you gotta follow the law and all but like isn't a death sentence kinda harsh? 
also i feel bad for her son sajeeb wazed he's literally living that drama with his mom being the target of a deadly verdict 
anywayz it's kinda crazy how some ppl are already predicting mass unrest in bangladesh 
like what's gonna happen next? is this gonna bring about real change or just more chaos 
It's all too convenient. And what's up with the security measures around the tribunal area? 
Like, they're not gonna let anyone near without a "shoot-on-sight" order? Sounds like they're trying to control the narrative. 
This is insane! I mean, what even is this? A death sentence for a politician? It's like something out of a movie, but it's real life! 
And to think, people are actually protesting outside the court building... it's so tense 
The whole thing just feels like a huge mess, and I don't even get into how the trial process went down 
. Either way, it's been a wild ride watching this unfold from afar 
death sentence is a lot to take 
she was already living in exile 
can't believe they caught her red-handed 
but some ppl are saying it's all about politics 
and the opposition parties are already planning protests 
meanwhile, families of the victims r finally getting justice 
it's a double-edged sword tho 
on one hand, it's a relief to see someone held accountable 
on the other hand, it's scary for democracy to be at stake 
. It's not like she was just involved in the crackdown, prosecutors actually linked her directly to the operation through those audio recordings 
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. This verdict might bring some relief to families of those who were killed, but it's also got a lot of opposition parties ready to cause trouble - not that I blame them 
. The world is watching this one closely, hoping that justice is served 
.
And what about human rights groups being divided on this? Like, isn't accountability supposed to be universal or something? 
. Still super sad about it though 
... hoping for some peace to break out amidst all this uncertainty 
I dont no what to think about the verdict, on one hand its good that justice is being served but on another hand is it gonna lead to more chaos in bangladesh? 
I've been following Sheikh Hasina's story for ages and it's wild how far she's come from being a hero to an alleged war criminal 
. Like, I get that the tribunal is supposed to be fair and all, but honestly, the evidence against her seems super strong 
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!
"The ultimate test of a man's faith is not whether God will hear his prayer, but whether God will answer it." ~ Sigmund Freud (but in this context, I think its more fitting to say) "You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can build peace without freedom and no one can build freedom without peace."
. The verdict might bring some closure for those who lost loved ones, but it doesn't change the fact that Hasina was in a tough spot back then and made some mistakes 
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. But at the same time, it's also a reminder that justice is complex and often depends on so many factors 
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. The problem is that this verdict is going to create a lot of divisions in Bangladesh, and it's hard to see how it's going to bring people together.
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