The chief prosecutor of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday demanded the death penalty for deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, holding her responsible as the “mastermind and principal architect” of last year’s anti-government protest crackdown that reportedly claimed over 1,400 lives.
Hasina, 78, was removed from office in August 2024 following a massive student-led uprising that shook the nation. According to a UN Human Rights report, security forces allegedly fired upon demonstrators between July 15 and August 15, 2024, resulting in one of the bloodiest episodes in Bangladesh’s recent history.
Presenting his case before the tribunal, Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam accused Hasina of direct command responsibility for the killings.
“Sheikh Hasina is the mastermind of all the crimes. She is an unrepentant, heartless criminal who deserves the maximum punishment. No mercy should be shown to her,” he told the court.
“For the murder of 1,400 people, she ought to have been hanged 1,400 times. But since that is not possible, it is appropriate to impose the death penalty so that no leader in future dares to kill their own citizens,” Tajul added.
The prosecution also sought capital punishment for former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, describing him as one of the “Gang of Four” allegedly orchestrating the crackdown. Tajul urged the tribunal to reject any plea for leniency and called for compensation to victims’ families from the confiscated assets of those convicted.
Also read: Sheikh Hasina gets six-month jail in contempt case
The prosecutor informed the tribunal that both Hasina and Kamal are currently absconding, citing intelligence reports that they are residing in India.
The ICT had earlier framed five charges of crimes against humanity and mass killings against Hasina, Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun following an investigation completed in May. Al-Mamun has since pleaded guilty and turned approver.
Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, amid escalating unrest and the collapse of her government. The interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has formally requested her extradition, but New Delhi has not yet responded.
Originally established to prosecute war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War, the ICT was recently amended by the Yunus government to include crimes committed by leaders of the previous regime. Several senior Awami League figures, including ministers and bureaucrats, have since been detained or gone into hiding.
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