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Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death in abstentia by a court in Dhaka for crimes against humanity over a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.
A three-judge bench of the country’s international crimes tribunal convicted Hasina of crimes including incitement, orders to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities, carried out as she oversaw a crackdown on anti-government protesters last year.
Reading the verdict to the court, Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder said the “accused prime minister committed crimes against humanity by her order to use drones, helicopters and lethal weapons”.
Hasina had pleaded not guilty to the charges and alleged the tribunal was a “politically motivated charade”.
The months-long tribunal tried and sentenced Hasina in abstentia. Since she fled the country in August last year, Hasina has been living in exile – and under protection – in neighbouring India, and the Indian government has ignored requests for her extradition to face trial.
Family members of killed protesters broke down in tears in the courtroom as judges handed death sentences to Hasina and the former home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, her co-accused in the trial.
Hasina’s absence from the defendant’s box was stark. In an audio message recorded on before the verdict, Hasina remained defiant. “Let them announce whatever verdict they want. It doesn’t matter to me. Allah gave me this life and only he can end it. I will still serve my people,” she said.
Dhaka was on edge in the run-up to the decision, with security tightened across the capital and police, army and paramilitaries cordoning off the tribunal area. The city’s police issued a “shoot-on-sight” order if someone was found hurling crude bombs or setting fire to vehicles.
www.theguardian.com
A three-judge bench of the country’s international crimes tribunal convicted Hasina of crimes including incitement, orders to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities, carried out as she oversaw a crackdown on anti-government protesters last year.
Reading the verdict to the court, Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder said the “accused prime minister committed crimes against humanity by her order to use drones, helicopters and lethal weapons”.
Hasina had pleaded not guilty to the charges and alleged the tribunal was a “politically motivated charade”.
The months-long tribunal tried and sentenced Hasina in abstentia. Since she fled the country in August last year, Hasina has been living in exile – and under protection – in neighbouring India, and the Indian government has ignored requests for her extradition to face trial.
Family members of killed protesters broke down in tears in the courtroom as judges handed death sentences to Hasina and the former home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, her co-accused in the trial.
Hasina’s absence from the defendant’s box was stark. In an audio message recorded on before the verdict, Hasina remained defiant. “Let them announce whatever verdict they want. It doesn’t matter to me. Allah gave me this life and only he can end it. I will still serve my people,” she said.
Dhaka was on edge in the run-up to the decision, with security tightened across the capital and police, army and paramilitaries cordoning off the tribunal area. The city’s police issued a “shoot-on-sight” order if someone was found hurling crude bombs or setting fire to vehicles.
Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death for crimes against humanity
Hasina has been living in exile in India after fleeing Bangladesh last year following protests that began as a student movement



