Hasina Labels Death Sentence ‘Political’, Interim Government Calls Verdict Historic

DHAKA, Nov 17: Bangladesh’s fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has denounced a Dhaka tribunal’s decision to hand her the death penalty, calling the ruling “distasteful” and “politically motivated” as the country moves toward national elections under an interim administration.

In a statement released through her Awami League party’s US-based Facebook page, Hasina alleged the verdict was delivered by a tribunal “rigged” and operated by an “unelected government with no democratic mandate.”

Her comments came hours after the Dhaka International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in absentia for authorizing a violent crackdown on last year’s student-led uprising, which toppled the Awami League after 15 years in power.

According to tribunal findings, roughly 1,400 people were killed in the July 2025 protests. The court also sentenced former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun to five years in prison after he cooperated with prosecutors.

Hasina and Kamal fled to India on Aug 5, 2025, at the height of the mass demonstrations that forced their removal from office.

Hasina rejected the tribunal’s conclusions, saying the trials “were never intended to achieve justice or provide any genuine insight into the events of July and August 2025” and instead were aimed at “scapegoating the Awami League.”

The International Crimes Tribunal was originally established by Hasina’s government in 2010 to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War. Human rights groups have long criticized the tribunal for inconsistent procedures and political influence, concerns that resurfaced following Monday’s verdict.

Meanwhile, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, installed after the Awami League’s fall, described the ruling as “historic.” In a statement, Yunus’ office urged the public to remain calm and respect the rule of law as Bangladesh heads toward its first national election under the caretaker leadership, scheduled for February 2026.

Security analysts say the sentences could deepen political tensions ahead of the polls, though authorities maintain that law and order will be strictly enforced.