Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh sentenced to death in absentia

On Monday, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia after a trial found her guilty of ordering the violent dispersal of a student protest. This was reported by Reuters.

The judge said Hasina, 78, was found guilty on three charges, including incitement, ordering the killings and failing to prevent crimes during the uprising.

People in the packed courtroom, including the victims' families, cheered and clapped, and some in the crowd outside knelt and prayed after the verdict was announced.

Hasina, who fled to neighboring India in August 2024 at the height of the uprising against her government, issued a statement calling the court a "rigged tribunal.".

The interim government led by Nobel Prize winner Mohamed Yunus called it a "historic verdict" but called for calm and warned that it would deal with any unrest.

After the verdict was announced, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry called on India to extradite Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who was also sentenced to death in the same case. India said it had taken note of the verdict and would "engage constructively".

According to a United Nations report, up to 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured during anti-government demonstrations from July 15 to August 5 last year, most by firearms. It was the deadliest case of political violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 war of independence.

• On August 5, 2024, Hasina resigned and flew out of the country after massive protests that left hundreds dead. She had been head of the Bangladeshi government since 2009.
• According to The Hindu, Hasina has applied for asylum in the UK, where her sister is a citizen.