Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Dhaka for crimes against humanity over a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.
A three-judge bench of the International Crimes Tribunal convicted Hasina of incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities. Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder said she committed crimes against humanity by ordering the use of drones, helicopters and lethal weapons against civilians.
Hasina, who fled to India in August last year, pleaded not guilty and described the trial as a 'politically motivated charade'. The UN human rights office welcomed the accountability but regretted the death penalty, which it opposes in all circumstances. Family members of the victims wept in court as the sentence was read.
The trial stems from the 'July revolution' that toppled Hasina after 15 years in power. The crackdown killed up to 1,400 people, according to UN estimates. Hasina's former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan was also sentenced to death, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah al-Mamun was shown leniency after pleading guilty and cooperating with prosecutors.
Security was tightened in Dhaka ahead of the verdict, with a shoot-on-sight order issued after crude bomb attacks near the court. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has prioritised prosecuting Hasina for the crackdown.
