Bangladesh's deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Dhaka for crimes against humanity. A three-judge bench of the country's international crimes tribunal convicted Hasina on charges including incitement, orders to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities.
The verdict was met with mixed reactions from human rights groups, who described it as an "important moment for victims" but also expressed regret over the imposition of the death penalty. The United Nations had previously called for perpetrators of crimes against humanity to be held accountable, and urged caution in sentencing those responsible.
Hasina had pleaded not guilty to the charges, alleging that the tribunal was a "politically motivated charade". However, judges stated that she had committed crimes against humanity by her orders to use drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians. Her absence from the defendant's box was notable, as family members of killed protesters broke down in tears during the sentencing.
The case centers on the July and August 2023 uprising, which saw widespread violence and deaths at the hands of police and security forces. Human rights groups have documented allegations of corruption, torture, and enforced disappearances under Hasina's rule.
Despite criticism from human rights groups, Bangladesh's interim government had pushed for the prosecution of Hasina to proceed through the international crimes tribunal. The verdict has sparked concerns about unrest in the lead-up to Bangladesh's first election since Hasina's ouster, which is set to take place in early February.
The country's former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan was also sentenced to death alongside Hasina. His absence from the defendant's box was notable, as prosecutors had portrayed him as a co-conspirator in the atrocities committed under Hasina's rule.
The verdict was met with mixed reactions from human rights groups, who described it as an "important moment for victims" but also expressed regret over the imposition of the death penalty. The United Nations had previously called for perpetrators of crimes against humanity to be held accountable, and urged caution in sentencing those responsible.
Hasina had pleaded not guilty to the charges, alleging that the tribunal was a "politically motivated charade". However, judges stated that she had committed crimes against humanity by her orders to use drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against civilians. Her absence from the defendant's box was notable, as family members of killed protesters broke down in tears during the sentencing.
The case centers on the July and August 2023 uprising, which saw widespread violence and deaths at the hands of police and security forces. Human rights groups have documented allegations of corruption, torture, and enforced disappearances under Hasina's rule.
Despite criticism from human rights groups, Bangladesh's interim government had pushed for the prosecution of Hasina to proceed through the international crimes tribunal. The verdict has sparked concerns about unrest in the lead-up to Bangladesh's first election since Hasina's ouster, which is set to take place in early February.
The country's former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan was also sentenced to death alongside Hasina. His absence from the defendant's box was notable, as prosecutors had portrayed him as a co-conspirator in the atrocities committed under Hasina's rule.
i mean i get it victims and all but come on death penalty? isn't that just gonna perpetuate more suffering and make the situation even more bleak? i feel so bad for sheikh hasina's family, she's got no one there to support her when this happens. and what about her team who have been loyal to her for years? do they get the same amount of backlash or is it just all on her now? 
also can we talk about how the united nations wasn't involved in this until after the fact? shouldn't they've been pushing for a more lenient sentence from the start?
Bangladesh's politics are super complicated 
this verdict is soooo sad 
for the victims and their families 
they deserve justice 
but death penalty 
seems harsh even though it was given to leaders who are responsible for crimes against humanity 
can't believe Hasina wasn't there in court face to face 
her family members crying is heartbreaking 
what about accountability for corruption too? 
and how will this affect the upcoming election in Bangladesh? 
will people take to streets again because of this verdict? 
. We can't just keep shoving perpetrators under the rug without addressing the systemic issues that led to these atrocities. It's time for a real reckoning, not just a symbolic punishment 
seriously what's up with the international crimes tribunal in Bangladesh? it seems like they're just trying to fill their own pockets and justify their existence 
. and now Asaduzzaman Khan is getting a free ride out of this too? 
sounds like they're all in on some kinda sick game together 
this verdict is like, super concerning for me tbh... i mean, she's one of the most influential ppl in bangladesh right now, and now she's getting death penalty? 
I don't get why they have to go with death penalty, like it's not enough that people suffered... 
. And another thing, how can the judges say she was in charge of crimes against humanity without her being there? Isn't that kinda unfair? 
.
I don't trust him at all. This whole thing just smells like a setup to me... 
the verdict came in from this super serious international tribunal thingy and human rights groups are all like yay we're finally getting justice, but also kinda worried about the death penalty... 
.
. I mean, what's going on in Bangladesh is just so... complicated. Anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out...
. Death sentence for Sheikh Hasina? It's like, she's already gone, what's the point of even punishing her now? And that human rights group is just being fake by saying it's an "important moment for victims"... Meanwhile, the UN is just trying to save face because they knew this was gonna happen 
.
. But, honestly, isn't it about time someone held her accountable? All those allegations of corruption and human rights abuses just got silenced 
. I mean, come on, it's not like she flew under the radar for nothing 
... The UN is right to caution though, we don't want anyone getting a little too excited 
. Let's see how this plays out in the lead-up to those elections 
. One thing's for sure, this verdict won't be without its controversy