HIBAPRESS
A court in Bangladesh today, Monday, sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death after convicting her of crimes against humanity during the 2024 uprising.
The court also issued a death sentence against former Interior Minister Asad al-Zaman, while a third defendant, a former police chief, was sentenced to five years in prison after he turned "witness for the prosecution" and confessed to his guilt against Hasina. The interim government reinforced security measures before the verdict was announced, deploying soldiers, paramilitary border guards, and police in the capital and large parts of the country. The "Awami League" party, led by Hasina, called for a complete shutdown in protest against the verdict issued in absentia against Sheikh Hasina and Asad al-Zaman, who are currently residing in India. Hasina and her party described the trial as a "sham" and lacking judicial standards, criticizing the appointment of a state-appointed lawyer to defend her. Hasina and Asad al-Zaman face charges of crimes against humanity, related to the killing of hundreds of people during an uprising led by students in July and August 2024. The United Nations clarified in a report issued last February that about 1,400 people had died during the violence, while the health advisor to the interim government announced the death of more than 800 people and the injury of about 14,000 others. It is worth noting that Hasina survived no less than 19 assassination attempts during her long political career, which began in 1981.
