Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death for crimes against humanity

Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia for her alleged role in the deadly crackdown on student-led protests last year. The three-judge bench of the country's international crimes tribunal convicted Hasina on charges including incitement, orders to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities.

Hasina had pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied that the tribunal was a politically motivated charade. However, the UN human rights office described the sentencing as an "important moment for victims" but expressed regret over the imposition of the death penalty, which they oppose in all circumstances.

The sentencing came after months-long proceedings against Hasina, who has been living in exile since August last year and under protection in neighboring India. The Indian government has ignored requests for her extradition to face trial.

Family members of killed protesters broke down in tears as judges handed down the death sentences to Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan. Hasina's absence from the defendant's box was stark, with her releasing a statement saying she had not been given a fair chance to defend herself and claimed she acted in good faith to bring order under control.

The prosecution described Hasina as the mastermind behind the deadly street operations, citing audio recordings that linked instructions from the prime minister's office to the violence. The use of the international crimes tribunal has been criticized by human rights groups, who say it still falls short of fair-trial standards and safeguards while retaining the right to pass down the death penalty.

For families of those killed in the uprising, the verdict brought some relief and catharsis. One victim's father said that the death sentence for Hasina was "the only acceptable verdict" and vowed that she would not be allowed to walk away from accountability. Bangladesh's first election since Hasina's fall is due to take place in early February, with her Awami League party banned from taking part.

The trial of a former police chief who turned state witness against Hasina concluded with the death sentence for Mamun being shown leniency for his cooperation. Hasina's son said that she would remain "safe" but vowed to fight back by any means necessary after the verdict.

this is so sad what happened in bangladesh, can't believe they sentenced her to death . it's not fair that she didn't get a chance to defend herself, i feel bad for her fam and the people who died during the protests . the fact that the indian gov has ignored requests for extradition is kinda shady . hope the families of those killed can finally find some peace with this verdict

just heard about Sheikh Hasina gettin sentenced 2 death in absentia she was supposed 2 defend herself but claimed fair chance didnt exist meanwhile families of protesters cryin tears 4 justice can't help but think trial's more politics than justice

OMG, this is so crazy ! Death penalty in Bangladesh? Like, what even is that ?! The UN human rights office is all like "regret" and "oppose" but can't they just take action ? The audio recordings are supposed to be proof of her involvement but isn't it possible she was manipulated or something? Her family members were crying in the courtroom, I feel bad for them . But on the other hand, some people think it's about time someone held her accountable ! What do you guys think is going on here?

OMG you guys I am literally SHAKEN to my core right now!!! The sentencing of Sheikh Hasina is like a punch in the gut and I don't know how Bangladesh can even begin to heal from this . Three lives lost to unnecessary violence and the woman who was supposed to be their protector gets away with it? No way, no how!

I mean I'm all for holding people accountable but come on, a death sentence in absentia without even being able to defend herself? That's just cold-blooded . And the fact that her own son is threatening to fight back makes me so worried for her safety .

The Indian government has been playing games with Bangladesh and it's disgusting . Extraditing Hasina or not, it's not like they're doing her any favors by keeping her under protection. And what about the other victims who were killed during those protests? Can we even count on justice for them now?

I'm literally shaking with anger and sadness right now . The UN human rights office is right, this was an important moment for the victims, but it's also a slap in the face to the international community who's supposed to be holding Bangladesh accountable .

And can we talk about the fact that Bangladesh's first election since Hasina's fall is happening in early February? What kind of message does that send to the people? "Hey guys, everything's fine now. Just forget about all the violence and corruption?" No thank you .

this whole thing is a hard lesson in how far justice can slip through the cracks when we're talking about powerful people and politics it's like, what does accountability even mean if those in power just get away with things because they have the means to hide or influence the system? it's not just about one person, it's about creating a culture where no one is above the law, where we actually believe in fair trials and due process

Oh man, this is like a real-life episode of 'Game of Thrones' – only instead of dragons and swords, it's students and batons! I mean, I feel bad for the families of those who got hurt, but come on, Sheikh Hasina getting sentenced to death in absentia? That's like me getting fined for eating an extra donut... which, let's be real, I'm totally guilty of . But seriously, it's a sad day for Bangladesh when it comes to human rights and justice. The UN is right, though – death penalty or not, someone's gotta take accountability for what went down. And poor Hasina's son, talk about having Daddy issues!

this whole thing is so messed up ... a former PM getting sentenced to death for her actions, and still getting to release a statement saying she was unfairly treated... sounds like a total setup to me . i'm all about accountability and justice, but this feels like just another example of the system being used against someone who's already powerful. what really gets me is that the prosecution used audio recordings to link her to the violence, which is pretty suspicious if you ask me . and now she's going to stay in india under protection while her family members are left to grieve? it just feels so unfair .

Ugh, can't believe they're handing out death sentences like it's no big deal The prosecution is just cherry-picking audio recordings and saying whatever they want about Hasina without actually proving her guilt. It's so frustrating that the Indian government isn't even making an effort to extradite her for a proper trial. And can we talk about how un fair the whole process was? Hasina wasn't even given a chance to defend herself properly

And omg, the reactions from the families of the victims are just heartbreaking It's like, I get it, they want justice and accountability, but this verdict isn't going to bring their loved ones back. It's just another example of how poorly this trial has been handled.

But you know what would be really great? If the international community was more involved in making sure that Bangladesh follows proper trial procedures Like, we're talking about the UN here, they should be like, "Hey, hold up, let's make sure this is done right". But I guess that's just not happening

this whole thing just feels so wrong, you know? like, the fact that they're trying to put a death sentence on someone who might not even have had a fair shot at defending herself... it's just not right and yeah, i can see how the families of those protesters would want some sort of justice, but this feels like such a rush to judgment idk if i'd be able to stomach being in Hasina's shoes, especially since she's been living under protection in india

Man, this is just wild ... I mean, I get it, justice needs to be served and all that, but a death sentence? Can't they see how crazy that is?! It's like, she was trying to keep the peace, or whatever, and now she's getting punished to the max . And what really gets me is that the UN said it was an "important moment for victims", but also expressed regret over the death penalty ... I guess they're just not gonna stand up for it no matter what.

And on a different note, can we talk about how messed up this whole thing is? It's like, these protests were so tragic and all, but now they're trying to hold someone accountable in such an extreme way . Like, shouldn't there be other ways to address the issue? I don't know, maybe I'm just naive, but it feels like they're just gonna keep on keeping on with this same old system that's been shown time and time again to be super flawed .

another politician gets a life sentence in absentia, just what we needed more of those Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now on death row and it's about time someone held her accountable for the violence against student protesters last year but let's be real this won't bring back all those lives or make up for the trauma families are still going through and what really gets me is that she got no fair chance to defend herself in court because who needs representation when you're a politician with power? meanwhile, her son's just like "don't worry mom i got this" meanwhile india ignores requests for extradition, because of course they do

I'm really disappointed in this whole thing, you know? A life taken is a life lost and I feel so bad for the families of those kids who got hurt during the protests. It's all just so tragic . I don't think we can say if Hasina was definitely responsible, but at the same time, she didn't exactly do anything to try and stop it either...it's like, where do you even start with that?

I know some people are saying this is an important moment for victims and all that, but death feels like such a harsh punishment when there's still so much uncertainty around the whole thing. The UN is right to express regret about the death penalty thing too - it's just not what I think we should be doing here .

It's also kinda sad that Hasina isn't even there in person to defend herself...I mean, she did release a statement saying she was treated unfairly and all that, but still...you can't exactly blame the courts for wanting closure on this whole thing, right?

This whole thing got me thinking, what does accountability even mean? Is it just about punishing someone in absentia or can we actually learn from their actions and grow as a society? I feel like Bangladesh is trying to close this chapter but at what cost? The death penalty is a heavy weight, is it really justice or just revenge? And what does the future hold for Sheikh Hasina, will she truly remain "safe" or is this just a temporary reprieve? I'm not sure if the verdict brought relief to anyone but me wonder if it's just a drop in the ocean, trying to quench the thirst of justice after all the bloodshed.