Bangladesh's ex-premier Hasina sentenced to death
The trial of Hasina, which revolves around alleged abuses during the 2024 student protests, has polarized the nation.
Dhaka (dpa) - Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia on Monday for crimes committed during the violent suppression of last year's mass uprising that ousted her government and ended her 15-year rule.
The International Crimes Tribunal, a specialized court in Dhaka, announced her conviction for crimes against humanity, handing down the sentence in a crowded courtroom amid tight security.
She gave the direct order to shoot at demonstrators, according to the indictment and was found liable for three counts of crimes against humanity for her role in the killing of protesters during the last year's uprising.
The tribunal also delivered its verdict on two of Hasina's aides who were likewise accused of crimes against humanity. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan was sentenced to death and former police chief Abdullah Al Mamun was given a five-year prison term.
Hasina in exile in India.
The tribunal's panel of three judges had decided on a single sentence, the "sentence of death," Golam Murtoza Majumder, the chairman of the panel, announced in a live broadcast on state-run Bangladesh Television.
Ahead of the announcement, Bangladesh tightened security nationwide amid outbreaks of violence, officials said.
Ahead of the verdict, Hasina's political party, the now-banned Awami League, called a two-day nationwide lockdown. The party has denounced the trial as a farcical and politically motivated.
There were reports of crude bomb explosions, arson attacks on buses and businesses and torch-lit processions in various locations, including the capital, on Sunday night.
Explosions also occurred outside the residence of a government adviser who holds ministerial rank, police said.
In response, the government deployed additional security forces, including the paramilitary Border Guards Bangladesh in Dhaka and other areas to maintain order.
Traffic in the usually congested capital was light in the early hours of Monday, and vehicular movement on highways was also lower than usual, according to footage aired by the private broadcaster Somoy TV.
To control the situation, Dhaka City police chief Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali instructed police on Sunday to shoot anyone involved in arson or bomb attacks.