On Thursday, Bangladeshi prosecution lawyers demanded the death penalty for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is on trial for crimes against humanity.
Hasina, who fled to India last year, has ignored court orders to return and face charges of orchestrating a deadly suppression of a student-led revolt.
The United Nations reports up to 1,400 deaths in the clashes from July to August 2024.
“We seek the maximum punishment,” chief prosecutor Tajul Islam stated outside the court.
“The rule is one death penalty per murder. For 1,400 murders, she should face 1,400 sentences—but since that’s impractical, we demand at least one,” he added.
The prosecution claims Hasina, 78, was central to all crimes during the July–August uprising.
She is being tried in absentia with two former senior officials.
Her former interior minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, is also at large, while ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is in custody and has admitted guilt.
The prosecution also demands the death penalty for Kamal.
The trial began on June 1 and has included extensive testimony about Hasina’s alleged orders or negligence in mass killings.
“Her aim was to secure power for herself and her family permanently,” said Islam.
“She has become a hardened criminal, showing no remorse for her actions.”
‘Use Lethal Force’
Prosecutors have charged Hasina with five counts, including failing to prevent murder, which are considered crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.
Hasina’s banned Awami League claims she “categorically” denies the charges.
Though assigned a state lawyer, Hasina refuses to acknowledge the court’s jurisdiction.
The trial is nearing conclusion, as the interim government prepares the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million for February elections.
Witnesses include a man severely injured by gunfire during the protests.
The prosecution also presented audio tapes, matched with verified recordings of Hasina, suggesting she ordered security forces to “use lethal weapons” against protesters, instructing that “wherever they find them, they will shoot.”
Hasina, already convicted of contempt of court in July and sentenced to six months in absentia, also faces ongoing corruption charges.
Family members, including her daughter Saima Wazed, a former senior UN official, and niece Tulip Siddiq, a British MP, are also charged with corruption, which they deny.
As the daughter of the revolutionary leader who brought Bangladesh to independence in 1971, Hasina oversaw rapid economic growth.
However, critics accuse her administration of unjustly imprisoning rivals, enacting oppressive anti-press laws, and committing widespread rights abuses, including the murder of opposition activists.
