Prosecutors in Bangladesh have demanded that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina be put to death over a deadly crackdown on student-led protests last year that ousted her from power. Hasina, who has fled to India, is on trial for crimes against humanity. According to a leaked audio clip, she ordered security forces to use lethal weapons against protesters. She denies the charges.
Up to 1,400 people were killed in weeks of unrest that ended Hasina's 15-year rule. It was the worst violence Bangladesh had seen since its 1971 war of independence.
Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam argued that Hasina deserves 1,400 death sentences, stating, 'Since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one.' He emphasized that she had become a hardened criminal without remorse.
The protests began in July 2024 against job quotas for relatives of the 1971 war fighters but escalated to a wider movement demanding Hasina's removal. The peak violence on August 5 saw police kill at least 52 people in a single day of clashes.
Hasina's defense argues that police were responding to violent actions from protesters, while she faces separate charges of corruption and contempt of court. As Bangladesh approaches elections in February, tensions continue to rise with Hasina's party banned from participating.
Up to 1,400 people were killed in weeks of unrest that ended Hasina's 15-year rule. It was the worst violence Bangladesh had seen since its 1971 war of independence.
Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam argued that Hasina deserves 1,400 death sentences, stating, 'Since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one.' He emphasized that she had become a hardened criminal without remorse.
The protests began in July 2024 against job quotas for relatives of the 1971 war fighters but escalated to a wider movement demanding Hasina's removal. The peak violence on August 5 saw police kill at least 52 people in a single day of clashes.
Hasina's defense argues that police were responding to violent actions from protesters, while she faces separate charges of corruption and contempt of court. As Bangladesh approaches elections in February, tensions continue to rise with Hasina's party banned from participating.
