Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has denounced the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal verdict sentencing her to death, calling the proceedings “rigged” and conducted by “an unelected government with no democratic mandate.” This is her first response to the ruling on the August 2024 killings linked to the student uprising that led to her ouster.
Hasina said the death sentence reflected the “murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government” to eliminate Bangladesh’s last elected leader and marginalise the Awami League. The tribunal had found her guilty of ordering a violent crackdown on student-led protests last year, during which the UN estimates up to 1,400 people were killed. Prosecutors told the court they had evidence she directly authorised the use of lethal force.
Her statement, issued by the now-banned Awami League, criticised the interim administration of Muhammad Yunus as “chaotic, violent, and socially regressive.” It alleged a breakdown of public services, police withdrawal from “crime-ridden streets,” and a collapse of judicial fairness, claiming attacks on Awami League supporters had gone unpunished. The statement said the verdict aimed to “scapegoat the Awami League” and divert attention from the government’s shortcomings.
It also cited assaults on religious minorities and accused Islamic extremists within the administration of undermining Bangladesh’s secular tradition. Hasina ended her message by calling for a free and fair election next year.
The interim government has described the verdict as “historic” and warned that any attempt to create disorder would face strict action. The BNP’s Salahuddin Ahmed said the trial “sets an example for the days ahead.”
