The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh has imposed a death sentence on former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the case involving the alleged crimes against humanity. A three-month trial, after which Hasina was convicted, made her fall to three counts of ordering a crackdown-to-death on an uprising by a group of students that toppled her Awami League administration last year.
The same charges were also brought against Hasina by the three member tribunal which was headed by Justice Mohd Golam Mortuza Majumder who declaimed his judgement against the two aides of Hasina at the same tribunal, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
According to the court, the three accused conspired among themselves to engage in atrocities to kill protesters all over the country. It however forgave the former police head who was seeking an apology to the tribunal and citizens of the nation.
Hasina and Kamal have been declared fugitive and tried in absentia and Mamun was originally tried in person before becoming approver.
What Court Said
The court has mentioned that the Hasina government failed to listen to the demands of the student and rather than listening to the students, the then prime minister sabotaged the struggle and also made derogatory statements towards the students and referenced students to the term of Razakars, a derogatory term used in Bangladesh.
Following the derogatory remarks, students, including female students, went on a rampage which the court confirmed, but further added that, Sheikh Hasina had gone ahead and decreed the elimination of demonstrating students.
According to the judges, the witnesses of the prosecution demonstrated that the assault on students in Dhaka University was carried out by Awami League faction units, including Chhatra League and Yuva League.
According to the court, Sheikh Hasina had directed law enforcers to track down protesters who congregated by using drones and using helicopters and deadly weapons to kill victims.
It further alleged that their complicity in weapons of drones and lethal strikes and helicopters had been used against humanity constitutes offenses subject to punishment; along with former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun who abetted them.
Nevertheless, Abdullah Al-Mamun received a pardon in the case of making full disclosure concerning the crime, and admitted his participation.
Following the court stated that the pair of convicts Hasina and Kamal were absconded which was indicative of their culpability.
Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder read the charges to the crowded Dhaka court and Hasina was found guilty on three counts including the three of incitement, order to kill, and failure to intervene to stop the atrocities.
We have resolved to punish her with but one thing, with the sentence of death.
Charges Against Hasina
There were five charges against Hasina, Kamal, and Mamun, such as murder, attempted murder, torture and other inhuman acts. One of the accusations made against Hasina was that she had ordered the protesters to be exterminated.
Inflammatory statements and even ordering deadly weapons to be used on students, she was also accused of making such remarks during a behind the scenes decision that pushed her out of office in August 2024 after a mass uprising pushed her out of office. Her government unleashed a wall of security forces during the so-called July Uprising which, according to a UN rights office report, claimed between 1,400 and 1,800 lives in two weeks between July 15 and August 15.
Hasina, 78, has been in exile in India, who disobeyed the tribunal decision of being tried over her order to carry out a deadly crackdown on a student-led rebellion on August 5, 2024.
Mohammad Tajul Islam, the chief prosecutor has gone on to refer to Hasina as the mastermind and the main architect of the so-called atrocities of the protests. Her supporters on the other hand stay that the charges are political in nature.
Hasina’s Extradition
On August 4, 2024, Hasina left Bangladesh with the escalating unrest and has been living in India since then. It is also believed that Kamal fled to India. Interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus has been requesting the extradition of Hasina, which is still not reacted by India.
Unrest In Bangladesh
The increased security has been in place all over the country before the verdict. On Sunday evening, Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner gave shoot-at-sight orders against anyone who was a part of arson, explosions or any attempt to harm police and civilians.
A two-day shutdown was called before the judgement by the now-disbanded Awami League. Army units, Border Guard Bangladesh and riot police have been stationed around the ICT-BD complex, and the streets in the capital are mostly empty, in terror of violence.
Hasina was accused together with her previous home minister and the police leader.
Though the sentence itself has provided some closure to the families of those who were killed during the protests, it might not make much to reconcile the political divisions in the country.
The anger towards Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League has not worn off yet, Shireen Huq, a right activists of Dhaka told BBC. Both the party and she have not apologised or repented the murder of hundreds of people.
She replied that it complicates the party being embraced by the majority of people in this country.
Capital punishment opponent Ms Huq also commented that the death penalty was not closure to the family of those murdered and wounded.
We have to deal with a number of individuals that lost their limbs permanently, they are amputee now, as a result of the crackdown. She will never be forgiven by them.
David Bergman, a reporter and a Bangladesh long-time observer, added that the nature of the conviction itself might render it even harder to get Awami League back into a normal part of Bangladesh politics.
This could change, he said, provided in the case of a sort of apology and a break with Sheikh Hasina and the old regime.
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